A sermon by Scott Berry of Crisis Ministries, April 13, 2008
Hebrews 13:1-16
The book of Hebrews describes the author’s conviction Jesus Christ not only fulfills the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, but surpasses the Jewish system of thought. The Jews were rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, what we call the Old Testament, but few of them accepted Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. The recipients of this letter seem to have been Jewish Christians. They were well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, and they had professed faith in Christ. Whether through doubt, persecution or false teaching, however, they may have been in danger of giving up their Christian faith. The author of this letter wrote to encourage them.
The author of this book is uncertain. Several names have been suggested, including Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla, and Paul. Most scholars do not believe that Paul was the author because the writing style of Hebrews is quite different from that of his letters. In addition, Paul identified himself in his other letters and appealed to his authority as an apostle, whereas the writer of Hebrews, who never gives his or her name, appeals to eye-witnesses of Jesus’ ministry for authority. Nevertheless, the author of Hebrews evidently knew Paul well. So scholars suggest Hebrews was probably written by one of Paul’s close associates who often heard him preach.
Our key text this morning is chapter 13, verse 16, where we are reminded that acts of kindness and sharing are particularly pleasing to God even when they go unnoticed by others. When you do what’s right recognition doesn’t matter.
“Do not neglect to do good, and share what you have.”
It was a sunny morning this past January that I found myself sitting at Kathy Sahrbeck’s desk, our Community Crisis Ministries’ Coordinator. She wasn’t there, but was off to CT to bond with her newly born granddaughter. As I settled in, following meticulously written notes to those of us who had volunteered to attempt to keep the ball rolling while she was away, I began to listen to the recorded messages left the previous day by several citizens in the local community who found themselves in various degrees of desperate need. I listened intently, wrote down facts and phone numbers. There were calls for fuel oil, for food, for assistance with rent, for help with paying utility bills; the needs were as varied as were the voices on the recorded line. Yet the theme was a common one: They were all calls for help from those who had nowhere else to turn. Most had been referred by a social agency or the city; a couple had been referred by friends and I noted we would need to get a social services referral. I began by returning the call from a woman who sounded the most desperate.
Helping those in our local community who are in crisis has become one of the bedrock ministries of our church over the past several years. Many of you will recall that Community Crisis Ministries began in 2000 with a substantial gift from one of our members whose wish was that we would use it all within three years in assisting those in need in Cape Elizabeth and South Portland. Gift Ministries, as this outreach was first called was responsible for providing nearly a million dollars of aid, with no strings attached, to people who, for a litany of reasons, found little or no relief through “the system” of state and local relief agencies. And, following the guidelines of the donors, as the initial “gift” was drawn down to zero and the third anniversary approached, the members of this church approved by congregational vote the continuance of this exciting mission under the new name of Community Crisis Ministries in 2003.
Many of us wondered whether there was a will to keep this ministry strong. You know the answer: since that time, through the generous donations of you, the members and friends of our congregation, this ministry has gone on, albeit on a much less grand scale than when we began. Yearly donations, augmented by several bequests, have averaged nearly $100,000 a year. This is over and above our support of the annual budget through our weekly offerings. Because Kathy’s part-time salary has been paid through the annual budget, 100 percent of all donated funds go towards assisting those in need. How many charitable causes can claim to do this?
“Do not neglect to do good, and to share what you have.”
The woman on the other end of the line that morning in January was anxious and hesitant to talk to me at first about her request for help in spite of my reassurance that I was calling on behalf of Kathy and Crisis Ministries. It was not easy for her to ask for help – for charity — from a stranger. She had been coaxing an ever-sinking level in her oil tank for weeks, hoping against hope, that she would be able to budget a refill, even a partial refill before it ran out. But December had been a cruel month with record amounts of snow and cold. She said she had been shivering with the temperature set at 50 degrees, even with a heavy sweater on. As the month of January wore on, it had become apparent that the weather would not relent and she was not going to make it until the end of the month. Her request for assistance to the town office in Cape Elizabeth had been denied; she made too much money to qualify for state/town assistance. She had been referred by the town to our Crisis Ministries for possible assistance.
I have been associated with Crisis Ministries for several years now and I can attest to the fact that in helping others, by sharing what my wife and I have and what you have generously provided through your own gifts, both large and small, we have made a difference in the lives of many, many people.
“Do not neglect to do good, and to share what you have.”
Some folks have come to us only once. We have helped others a number of times. Sometimes it is funding a child’s camp experience or helping to buy a calculator for a math class that was just out of reach for a family, but made it possible for a child to keep up with members in his class. Sometimes we have helped provide rent and assistance with utilities for a family. You can see the types of aid we provide from the flyer in your bulletin. In the past year we have seen the number of requests for help increase as the economy in the state has declined. The requests for assistance from the church’s Food Pantry have increased correspondingly. While food, energy and housing costs have steadily risen, incomes, particularly in the lower strata of the economy, have not kept pace. And from what we have all read, things are not going to get better any time soon. It is because of a few local “safety nets” provided by non-governmental agencies that many of these people – our neighbors — will be able to find some relief.
After gathering some facts regarding this woman’s current economic situation, I was able to allay her concerns about anonymity. She had a steady job, owned her own home and a car. Yet how did she find herself in this financial crisis? It seems she had been unable to work for several weeks following major surgery last fall. Her income was modest to begin with, her mortgage was considerable compared to her salary, and she had had to take leave without pay during her recovery period. She had no savings or family to turn to for help. For the first time in her life she found that she had to prioritize which bills to pay. After paying the mortgage and the electric bill and making a payment on the hospital bill, she had little money left for food and oil. But she could only postpone filling her oil tank so long.
According information provided by the Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights (POWER), a local economic human rights group dedicated to fighting poverty, who have joined us in the congregation today, over 36 million Americans live in poverty, though some estimates say the number is closer to 50 million.
Another 50 million, according to the US Census are just above the poverty line (125% of poverty). When asked in a recent survey, the public’s perception of the number of people living in poverty is out of step with reality. The majority of people thought that less than a million people in the U.S. were “poor.” Many of the people we assist through Crisis Ministries are not officially “poor.” To meet the federal poverty-level guidelines, a single person can earn no more than $10,210 per year (try living independently on that salary). A family of four can earn no more than $20,650 and be classified as “poor.” If such person or family owns their own home and a car, they don’t qualify for state/local aid. Many of those we assist through Crisis Ministries live “on the edge,” meaning from paycheck to paycheck. Many already qualify for welfare from the state and local agencies based on their income. When the least little thing disrupts that inflow, then disaster strikes. And the phone rings in Kathy Sahrbeck’s office.
I hung up the phone. In a few quick minutes a call was placed to Union Oil. A fuel truck arrived at our neighbor’s home the next morning. Due to your faithfulness and your generosity, a woman’s oil tank was filled, her worries calmed, her spirits lifted and her faith in humankind renewed.
“Do not neglect to do good, and share what you have.”
Scripture also says – don’t be hearers of the Word only. But also be doers. You have stepped up to the challenge and have seen your neighbors in need. And you know that many, many more among us are living near enough to the edge that a job loss, illness, or change in family status could cause just such a crisis.
From all of us in Community Crisis Ministries, I thank you for all the good you have provided so that we might share with those who have nowhere else to turn.