Gift Giving
In Western culture, this is gift-giving season. We may find joy in that - because we are expressing our love through our gift. Or we may find it tedious - because there are too many gifts to find and frankly, we are out of ideas.
And because it is gift-giving season (and because it is the end of the tax year), many people make year end gifts to non-profits whose mission they support.
If you are one of those people, let me first remind you to submit your pledge to St. Stephen’s. Whether or not you pledge will not much affect STS. (Though whether or not you give WILL have an impact!) But whether or not you pledge will affect YOU. Pledging is a commitment, a promise. And when we make commitments and promises, that changes our relationship with the person or institution to whom we have made this commitment. In other words, it’s a spiritual matter.
Second, let me suggest that you consider supporting the world class work done by Lutheran agencies:
ELCA Good Gifts (where you can give a pig, a goat, or even a cow in someone’s name. Someone in need gets help in becoming self-sufficient. The person in whose name you’ve given this gifts gets a card–often with a pun).
And here’s a more local option that is new to me: Lasagna Love.
Greetings, I'm a volunteer with Lasagna Love, a national non-profit. Volunteers prepare and deliver a pan of lasagna to individuals/families in need using contactless delivery. The frequency and distance traveled are totally up to the volunteers. We're hoping to get Lutheran church members/groups involved in this rewarding opportunity to impact food insecurity and spread kindness.
Thanking you in advance, Marianne Carter, Outreach Coordinator , Lasagna Love - DE, MARIANNEC513@GMAIL.COM, 302-373-4383
Peace,
Mark
