In the past week, Bishop Tom Berlin reached out to our Florida conference to share two dire needs. I think that is appropriate for our Bishop to remind us that we are the Body of Christ at work in this world. As United Methodists, we understand that our faith is not just held in our hearts, but also practiced in our actions.
It is so easy to be distracted by what is in front of us. I appreciate our Bishop reminding us of who we belong to and what is our calling in this world. Philippians 2:3-4 sums it up nicely, “Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.” So, here are the requests from Bishop Berlin.
First, he is asking us to be in prayer for the Christians in Pakistan as many churches and homes were burned down or vandalized this past week. The government is doing its best to help support those who were hurt by these attacks. Sadly, this is not the only place where people are persecuted around the globe for their faith. Please actively pray for those who suffer due to their faith.
Secondly, our Bishop has asked us to help support those in Lahaina, Hawaii who had their historic town totally consumed by wildfires. Thousands are now left homeless, and the death toll keeps rising as they grieve the loss of life for many. Our Bishop asked Bishop Escobedo-Frank of the Cal-Pac Annual Conference to determine how we can best assist both immediate and long-term needs. She suggests we give to the Cal-Pac fund, so the money we collect and send will be used for the needs of the community and local United Methodist churches. You can give today through The Florida Conference https://florida-reg.brtapp.com/CalPacUMCDisasterReliefDonations.
Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ to the world around us. Here's a reminder of God's love that is shared through us: