ISAIAH 10:1-2 (NIV)Woe to those who make unjust laws,

    to those who issue oppressive decreesto deprive the poor of their rights

    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,

making widows their prey    and robbing the fatherless.

ACTS 4:32-36 (NRSV)Now the whole group of those who believed were of one

heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.

With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them,

for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was

distributed to each as any had need.

“Atheism (how he referred to Christianity)has been especially advanced through

the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead.

It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar and that

the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well;

while those who belong to us look in vain for the help we should render them.”

ROMAN EMPEROR JULIAN (361-363)

Rodney Stark describes the way early Christians provided care to the victims of plagues, often at the expense of their own lives. Whereas pagan elites and their priests

simply fled the affected cities, some evenleaving family members behind, Christians stayed

behind to provide food, water and friendshipto neighbors…the Church’s commitment to the poor, even up to the fifth century,

was what won over Roman society.

DAVID FITCH

MATTHEW 25 (NRSV)“Truly I tell you,

just as you did (or did not do) it to one of the least of these

(the thirsty, hungry, sick, naked, imprisoned, etc.) who are members of my family,you did (or did not do) it to me.”

“When you were doing this,you were already in the kingdom

because I was present there;the kingdom was breaking in.

As such, when you, the Church,were with the poor as family,

that was a sign you werealready participating

in the kingdom.”

FITCH’S INTERPRETATION

LUKE 16:19-22 (NRSV)There was a rich man who was dressed in purple

and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus,

covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table;

even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by

the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

LUKE 16:23-24 (NRSV)In Hades, where (the rich man) was being tormented,

he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.  He called out,

‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger

in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’

LUKE 16:27-28 (NRSV)‘…Father, I beg you to send him

to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not

also come into this place of torment.’

“The rich man is urgently concerned for…his own brothers. But he was not as equally

concerned for Lazarus…the rich man is in hellnot because he didn’t take care of the poor

better than most…(but) because he thoughthe had five brothers when God had actually

given him six. While he helped Lazarus,he failed to see him as his brother.

He failed to embrace him as family…”

DAVID FITCH & LEONARD SWEET

Maintenance M

ode – “Hunker In The B

unker”

Exha

usti

on M

ode

– “W

e H

ave

to S

ave

The

Wor

ld”

{ WITH/FOR/UNTO } { WITH/FOR/UNTO } { WITH/FOR/UNTO }

Maintenance M

ode – “Hunker In The B

unker”

Exha

usti

on M

ode

– “W

e H

ave

to S

ave

The

Wor

ld”

{ WITH/FOR/UNTO } { WITH/FOR/UNTO } { WITH/FOR/UNTO }

As we spend time with and care for the poor,or seek to obey the call to “do justice,

love mercy and walk humbly with God,” if we only include those who look, think, act,talk or vote like us, or those we perceive no

potential threat or inconvenience from,we might as well stop calling ourselves

followers of Jesus or pretending we careabout what the Bible says about these things

DEACON GODSEY

Gay men and Lesbian women;Bisexual and Transgender people;

Intersex and Asexual people;Black, White, Native, Jewish, Muslim people;

Immigrants; Refugees; Disenfranchised Voters;Palestinian Christians living in Israel;

Basically: anyone who is poor, vulnerable or in need, whether they look, act, talk, think or vote like us or not…

THE “POOR” TODAY INCLUDES…

The Sheep and The Goats(based on Matthew 25)

- & - Asleep In The Light

By Keith Green - 1978

BENEDICTION (Mark 12)One of the scribes…asked him,

“Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is:

‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.”