How did you respond to the tragic earthquake in Japan? Were you out in Chinatown collecting donations along side our choir? Did you pledge money through UMCOR or through a telethon? Did you attend a fundraiser or purchase a CD or T-shirt that benefits the earthquake victims? Did this earthquake serve as a wake-up call to us Californians to BE PREPARED?
What CAN we do? In the SFGate webpage “Make Your Own Preparedness Kit,” suggestions include:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats/seafood, canned spaghetti, ravioli, chili, stew, tamales. Other good choices are canned beans, fruits, vegetables.
- Canned juices, milk, pudding cups, and ready-to-eat soups.
- High energy foods such as peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix; foods that will not increase thirst.
- Foods for infants, elderly, persons with special dietary needs
- Comfort/stress foods: cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags.
It is recommended that you restock the food and water yearly. When doing so, why not donate the rotated canned goods to the food bank? Can do? How else to fan the flame? How about volunteering to help at Lake Merritt UNC’s monthly Food Pantry program? Our participation has been a big help this year.
Another way to fan the flame would be to talk with some of our consummate volunteers. In our midst, we have global volunteers Burt and Jane Yin working with the Red Cross, and Aeri Lee’s Uganad ministry. Becky Wong and Rich Fong have many community projects needing helper. Al Wong can always use and extra hand with maintenance projects within our own church. Opportunities abound! Articles will continue to appear in the Messenger and announcements made on Sundays when new opportunities arise.
However, “Catch Fire in 50 days” is not merely a call to charity and service, but also to prepare ourselves for the receiving of the Holy Spirit. We are called to BE Christian disciples. Together we help each other SEE the blessings we have been given. So that out of love, we DO what God wants us to do.
To really keep fanning the flame will take discipline and strength – the spiritual kind. As the booklet states on the title page: Praying, Reading, Reflecting, Responding. In response, CCUMC will be “serving a lot spiritual sustenance”. Besides wonderfully uplifting worship services, Small Groups and Sunday School programs are on the menu. There will be new courses added for other liturgical seasons, like S.O.U.P. during Lent. The spiritual food is here for everyone; and the flavor is really “out of this world”. Being spiritually energized is the needed preparation for each of us. As a faith community, then, we CAN and WILL fan the flame and keep the fire alive.
- Charlie Ho