Addressing Hunger

My Excess…Or Someone’s Need?

My Excess…Or Someone’s Need?

Many, if not most, of us are willing to contribute to a request for food for a neighborhood or congregational food shelf. We might be generous with foods we usually buy for ourselves like peanut butter and canned fruits. We might be cleaning our cupboards or closets....

Sharing From the Heart

Sharing From the Heart

Stores quickly replaced Christmas displays with Valentine’s Day items…cards, decorations, and definitely sweets! Are you one of those people who gift someone you love on that special day in February? Flowers or candy are common, of course, but there are other ways to...

Tis the Season for Resolutions

Tis the Season for Resolutions

Ah, the beginning of another New Year. That good news either fills you with optimism or perhaps hesitation as you ponder if you should or should not make any New Year’s resolutions. You know the routine — you make them, keep them for a while; then you break them....

Givers, Giving and Gifts

Givers, Giving and Gifts

Have you noticed an increase in the number of references to gifts lately? Of course, retailers think the holiday season is already here. (Who knew that Black Friday lasted a whole month?) But several articles refer to gifts such as the ability to teach effectively,...

Tak, Gracias, Danke, Asante, Obrigado…

Tak, Gracias, Danke, Asante, Obrigado…

It is nearly November, which brings two special seasons with regularity. One is annual stewardship time in my congregation and the other is Thanksgiving, perhaps my favorite holiday. Both of these dates remind me that I should always be saying “thank you” to my God...

Boycott OR Buycott?

Boycott OR Buycott?

Boycotts have been referred to as intentional avoidance of products; buycotts, on the other hand, mean intentional purchases of products. As a person who likes words and their meanings and derivations, I found the idea of a buycott intriguing. I do remember...

A Helpful and Timely Resource on the Farm Bill

A Helpful and Timely Resource on the Farm Bill

The deadline for reauthorizing the Farm Bill comes at the end of September and though the deadline will likely be extended, serious considerations are already taking place and details are being finalized. While this blog has previously provided information and...

Travel, Wealth and Hunger

Travel, Wealth and Hunger

How did you travel this year? How far did you go? To many of us, relating travel, wealth and hunger probably only means that when we travel, we get just a drink and peanuts on a flight. But there are other connections that can and should be made as we think about the...

Hunger: A Local Issue Needing Local Action

Hunger: A Local Issue Needing Local Action

A recent article from ELCA World Hunger reminds us that to make the biggest impact on hunger in the United States, the church needs to act on the local level. We are also reminded our congregations need to pioneer new approaches to ending hunger. One of the ways ELCA...