Community Kitchen to serve those in need.
COVID-season has created many opportunities to change the way churches have always done things. Connect Worship Service, a part of the Collegedale, Tenn., Church, recently has been integrating a new rhythm into the way they worship and engage. As part of their new plan, they have designated the first Sabbath of each month as “Service Sabbath.”
Among the various options for participating in acts of service for their community, this month Camrie Ackerman chose to be a part of the group who drove downtown Oct. 3, 2020, to help serve lunch at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen.
Each day dozens of people begin to line up to receive some warm food. Several members of the group served pre-assembled lunches indoors, while a large group of post-collegiate young people served fresh fruit, popcorn, and hot chocolate outside. After receiving food, the people milled around the area and church members were able to talk with many of them. Some of them talked about what street they ended up sleeping on last night, or voiced concerns about trying to stay warm as the weather continues to get cooler. Some of them declared their own theories on life and shared part of their story. Ackerman felt so grateful to be able to see life from a perspective so different from her own.
She noticed how naturally she tended to view everything from a personal, and possibly selfish, perspective. Her daily schedule revolves around her job, her to-do list, and trying to fit all the miscellaneous things in accordance to her own preferences. Going to the Community Kitchen was a refreshing reminder that Jesus has called all to live a life of service — to recognize and meet the needs of the people around them.
Those serving at Community Kitchen invite all to look outside their own lives and search for opportunities to intentionally serve others. This is a reflection of God’s heart towards his children.
“We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s heart,” Hebrews 13:16 TPT.
Georgia–Cumberland | December 2020
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