Crossroads II. Sunday, November 19, 2023. Our Church/Ourselves:  Living the Life and Teachings of Jesus  Caring for the Poor, the Sick, and the Elderly The class will be held in the Session Room (and on Zoom).

​Sally Layendecker, Chair of the FKPC Mission Ministry, will facilitate a discussion about some of the efforts in the Ocala/Marion County community to address the needs of the poor, the sick, and the elderly.  She will address some of what is being done by the Fort King congregation.  
 
Dr. Pam Lewin will speak about caring for the sick.  Pam  has spent much of her career ministering to the medical needs of the underserved communities.  She is co-founder and medical director of the Estelle Byrd Whitman Wellness and Community Center in West Ocala. 
 
Martina Lumb  will represent Marion Senior Services.  She is a native of Germany, and has worked with seniors in Jacksonville and in Ocala.   Martina is currently serving as Community Resource Specialist and Intake Assistant at Marion Senior Services.  
 
Mary Beth Neely, on the board of Interfaith Emergency Services, will speak to the many ways that Interfaith works to give support to the marginalized in our county.
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*The devotional for this week by Pam Lewin is attached to this email.
 
Please join us for coffee (and on Zoom) at 8:45 and class will begin at 9:00.
 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83211638783?pwd=dTBHQ1BsWGZJdGRTS1lBeHZ2MW9BQT09
 
Meeting ID: 832 1163 8783
Passcode: Micah6:8
 
Our Church/Ourselves:  Living the Life and Teachings of Jesus
Session 11:  Caring for the Poor, the Sick, and the Elderly
A devotional reflection
by Pam Lewin
 
SERVING THE ‘INASMUCH PEOPLE’                                 
“Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” Matt.25:40b NKJV.
 Ed arrived at the clinic early. 
A foul odor of putrid flesh accompanied him. We donned our masks, protective gowns and gloves and brought him to the exam room right away to avoid his sitting for long in the reception area.
Vitals taken in the room were normal. The usual questions were asked: “How long have you had this? What happened? What have you been using on it?” And also, “Why did you wait so long?” He had had it for months; it started because he is homeless and has to sleep on the street. He had nothing to dress it with and covered it with toilet paper, which by now was stuck firmly to his skin, wrapped with newspaper.
The smell of urine and the infected wound permeated the room. We had to work quickly, using alcohol pads inside our masks to cope. We washed his feet and carefully removed the paper from the exposed skin. The wound was deep across the top of his foot extending to his right ankle. He stated how relieved he was that we were there to help him. When it was cleaned up, the skin looked quite vital and the ointment was soothing as we wrapped it with sterile bandages. Fortunately, we had some donated clothes and underwear to give to him, so we made a gift bag, for which he was very grateful. He was given medication and told to return the next day, and the day after that till we could see new skin forming. That wound, eventually, took months to heal.
Treating people who are unsheltered, taking care of their skin, especially their feet, involves not only the physical act of washing but the symbolic act of kindness towards individuals with neither the means nor the materials to do so for themselves. They are often the outcasts of society.
A long time ago there was another incident in which a man fell victim to robbers and thieves who stole his belongings, beat him up and left him for dead. He, at last, was rescued by an unlikely passerby who bound up his wounds and took care of him, placing him in a safe location, and attending to his physical needs and ailments.
Sometimes, to help people it is necessary first to see them!
Then there was Jesus, who walked wherever he went, and whose feet became as dusty as his sandals. Yet, when the time came after supper, did he make sure that his own feet were clean? Was he primarily concerned about his own welfare and appearance, though he knew his fate? He took the bowl of water and the towel and washed the disciples’ feet, explaining that they should wash each other’s feet–that is, take care of one another.
John 13:14 “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet: ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” He showed by example what they should do for others. I like to call it Othering.
“The church is the healing community of Christ in the world; the church needs to be involved in community outreach.” said Dr. David Cooper. We at Fort King are well aware of this. When we feed or clothe the poor, when we provide for their shelter, when we invite them to come and share in our worship or take gifts for their children, when we visit them in prison, we do it as unto God. Jesus advised the disciples that they should care for the least and the last and the lost, because “Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
Prayer: God, our Father, it is our sincere prayer that you will open our eyes to see the many opportunities we have daily to make lives better for those who are less fortunate than we are. Help us to give of our time and substance, generously, without counting the cost, as if we are doing it for you, as your hands and feet, and we will give you all the honor and the praise. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
John 13:17: “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” KJV