At church, I sat prior to the beginning song, in a seat with people I did not know thinking how spiritually and emotionally disconnected I felt.
Then my heart reconnected as a young man spoke of his experience, while sitting on the porch with a refugee family being resettled here in PDX, hearing 6 shots; they rushed around the corner finding Billy Moore shot dead.
The young man went on to tell how a few dollars from Imago Dei CC's "Change for A Dollar" offering was used to touch the life of Billy's sister and other family members.
It also rings in my mind as Rick's message spoke of our identity in Christ who has declared we are salt and light as we follow Him. God held the salt shaker again this week using small things and that young man's presence with Billy's family that meant a whole lot to those who lost their brother and mother the same day.
Putting a few dollars in a bucket strategically placed at the communion table where we reconnect our hearts with the one who experienced death and resurrection for us, and, also, connecting my heart with the lives of those God chooses to touch helps me to know that I am part of something much bigger than myself and my own problems.
CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR
By Rick McKinley
Practicing Resurrection
As Easter was approaching this year I started thinking about how we could practice resurrection all year long. Sometimes we have to fight to keep ourselves living into the resurrection; new life is not always the dominant experience we have. We need tangible ways to remember that in the midst of a dying world, new life is breaking in and it started with Jesus who overcame not only our sin on the cross but our death as well.
I was looking for some kind of experience that we could participate in as a whole community that would remind us each week that Jesus is alive and breaking into the world in us, through us and for us. My friend Don was at John Weece’s Church, Southland Community in Lexington KY. He told me John asks his congregation each week to give one dollar to a particular offering. They take that entire offering and give it to someone in need outside of their church.
I had my handle on how we would practice resurrection. We stole John’s idea (thanks for your creativity John and the courage of the people of your community as well!!!).
Change for a Dollar
We named the initiative Change for a Dollar and I shared that each week we are going to take an offering and all we want from each person is one dollar. We have these big metal pails with stickers that say Change for a Dollar. Each week we are then able to share the story from the week before, of whom the money went to and how God made change for a dollar through his resurrection people.
