Pastor's Corner: God's work, our hands

Our world is so fractured right now. There are fractures within our families, our communities, our country and ourselves. These fractures cause us pain and angst and despair. Surrounded by so much mistrust and cultural blame slinging, I have found that G.H.A.M.A., the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association, is a balm to my soul. G.H.A.M.A.'s membership spans the spectrum, from the Catholics to the Protestants and from the organ-loving, hymn-singing congregations to the praise band-loving, hands-in-the-air churches. In a fractured world, G.H.A.M.A. is an island of unity. In a time when we can choose to surround ourselves by only likeminded folks, G.H.A.M.A. brings together different viewpoints with the purpose of conversation, not conflict.

G.H.A.M.A. can be what it is because we are all rooted in the love of Christ. Our shared faith in Jesus Christ and our commitment to God's vision of restoration for the whole world bind us together, even when the prevailing culture says that we should be at odds. I give thanks for Havre's ministerial association, and all the ways it embodies Christian unity. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, my own denomination, has a saying: "God's Work, Our Hands." In many ways, G.H.A.M.A. lives into that saying, too. God's work is not confined to any one congregation or denomination; God's work is much too expansive for that! God's work needs all our hands, joined in mutual love and respect.

G.H.A.M.A. got down to the business of God's work, after our summer break, on Sept. 2, 2021. Our treasurers, Father Dan Wathan and Deacon Tim Maroney, gave their report and revealed an opportunity for our congregations. Right now, G.H.A.M.A.'s assistance fund is very low. This assistance fund is an important part of G.H.A.M.A.'s ministry. Churches are natural hubs for people in need of a little help. Rather than having a piecemeal safety net scattered across all the different congregations, G.H.A.M.A. centralizes our efforts to help our neighbors in need. When our congregations have someone at our door who needs something like a hotel room for the night or a tank of gas to continue their journey home, we can refer them to G.H.A.M.A. This way, we can provide equitable help to all, while also tracking the patterns of need in our community. Here's where the opportunity comes in: if you or your congregation feels called to contribute a special gift to this assistance fund, now is a great time. You can send it to the treasurers at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, or pass it along to your pastor - they should know what to do!

At our September meeting, we also talked with Bryon Gustafson from the organization Child Bridge about ways our churches can better support foster families and foster children. We organized the See You at the Pole event for Sept. 22, at 7:30 a.m., when middle and high schoolers will gather at the flagpole to pray. We discussed other needs in Havre, and put our heads together on ways to help the soup kitchen, the detention center, and the care center.

We ended with a prayer from Pastor Sue King, from Van Orsdel United Methodist Church. She asked us to put our feet solidly on the ground and give thanks for our God, our rock and our redeemer. Wherever you are, perhaps you can take a moment to plant your feet on some solid ground, take a solid breath or two, and remember that God is holding this whole fractured and forgiven world in His hands - including you.

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Pastor Megan Hoewisch