“They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42, The Message)
As we prepared for World Communion Sunday 2005, right after two major hurricanes slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast, my mind was focused on the many persons a thousand miles away who loved to gather with their church families but were now separated because of the hurricanes that destroyed their sense of security, along with their homes and church buildings.
I prayed for pastors of all denominations who tried to minister but couldn’t find parishioners, who were now homeless themselves, who were preparing funerals and who wanted to give much more than they had. I couldn’t—and still can’t—imagine being caught in these emotional dynamics.
In my home conference, we gathered to worship, pray and remember Christ's sacrifice for all of us. We focused on appreciating all we have and all we take for granted. We tried to comprehend that the destruction about which we read and heard wasn’t in another country but only a few states south of us. We sought to reach out to and care for the new persons in our communities who were forced to leave their home, their community and their church family.
While I urged United Methodists to dig deeper into their wallets to help their sisters and brothers on the Gulf Coast, I also reminded them about World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October. Why? The special offering received on World Communion Sunday ensures strong leadership for our churches and communities, today and in the future. It provides scholarships for U.S. (racial- and ethnic-minority) and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels.
As you celebrate World Communion Sunday this year, do so, filled with the Spirit—ready to do God's will and to serve God's people! And please give sacrificially to nurture students to lead today and in the future. Thank you!
--The Rev. Jane Follmer Zekoff, former director of ministry and outreach,
Wisconsin Conference
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