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Isaiah 58:6-7: Is\u00a0this not the fast that I have chosen:\u00a0To loose the bonds of wickedness,\u00a0to undo the heavy burdens,\u00a0to let the oppressed go free,\u00a0and that you break every yoke?\u00a0 Is it\u00a0not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;\u00a0when you see the naked, that you cover him,\u00a0and not hide yourself from your own flesh? <\/p>\n
Today we are taking up a special offering for the people of Haiti.\u00a0 As you all know, untold thousands have died or been injured since the earthquake that shook the country on January 12.\u00a0 They don\u2019t have the heavy machinery to pick through the rubble, so many remain trapped.\u00a0 Three million people, about a third of the population, need food, water, and other sorts of aid. \u00a0This is also Human Life Sunday, when we pray for the end of abortion in our country, and take a special offering to help a crisis pregnancy center. <\/p>\n
Why would we include a special offering for the people of Haiti in our worship service?\u00a0 Why would we mention an unpleasant and controversial subject like abortion?\u00a0 Aren\u2019t we in danger of turning the church into a social service organization?\u00a0 Don\u2019t efforts like this politicize the church?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t the purpose of the church to preach the gospel and worship God? <\/p>\n
Questions like these assume that we need to choose between worship and mercy, but that is a false choice.\u00a0 Mercy detached from God\u2019s mercy to us in His Word and Sacrament is no more than do-gooding; worship that is not hospitality, and worship that does not flow out in generosity, is nothing more than Pharisaism. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to have a Eucharistic context for our offerings.\u00a0 The feast is our model of Christian charity.\u00a0 At times, Jesus commands people to give away everything and follow Him, but for most believers Jesus commands us to give from what we have.\u00a0 We give from the abundance of the Lord\u2019s blessings, sharing food and table with those who are in need. <\/p>\n
Isaiah is talking about fasting, but the rest of Scripture shows that we are perfectly justified in making precisely the same point about feasting: \u201cIs\u00a0this not the feast that I have chosen:\u00a0To loose the bonds of wickedness,\u00a0to undo the heavy burdens,\u00a0to let the oppressed go free,\u00a0and that you break every yoke?\u00a0 Is it\u00a0not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;\u00a0when you see the naked, that you cover him,\u00a0and not hide yourself from your own flesh?\u201d <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Isaiah 58:6-7: Is\u00a0this not the fast that I have chosen:\u00a0To loose the bonds of wickedness,\u00a0to undo the heavy burdens,\u00a0to let the oppressed go free,\u00a0and that you break every yoke?\u00a0 Is it\u00a0not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;\u00a0when you see the naked, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology-liturgical"],"yoast_head":"\n