Fasting for Food Insecurity

In his All Saints’ Sunday sermon on November 2, the Rev. Jemonde Taylor invited the St. Ambrose congregation to fast in response to the US Government’s halting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Over 1 million people in central and eastern North Carolina will experience food insecurity from the government’s inaction. He challenged the church to respond in the following ways.

• Fast by changing your diet to abstain from certain foods on one or both of the traditional Christian fasting days: Wednesday and/or Friday. If you eat meat, fast from meat on those days and use the money saved to make a donation to the Food Bank or purchase non-perishable protein and other needed items to bring to church.
• Make a donation to St. Ambrose’s Virtual Food Drive. The money will help provide culturally appropriate food for families.  Share the link with family, friends, and on your social media channels.
• Bring food on Sundays into the St. Ambrose Storehouse. The last pews in the church are reserved to store food individuals bring to donate to the Food Bank. Malachi 3:10, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”
• Pray the Prayer for those living in Poverty and Hunger
  1. O Creator of all living things: We are all hungry in a world full of abundance. The possibilities of food for bodies and souls overflow in this beautiful world. We ask for the grace to see the abundance of our world and enough awareness to acknowledge our sins of greed and fear.
  2. Give us openness of soul and courageous, willing hearts to be with our sisters and brothers who are hungry and in pain. We ask for your intercession on behalf of every person hungry for earthly food and hungry for the taste of the Spirit of God. We give thanks that we can be part of that intercession. This world is blessed with enough food of the earth for every person to eat and be satisfied. We all can feed on the bread of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, as God makes a home in our hearts.
  3. We come together in awe and wonder at the Creator who loves us so much that we are invited and urged to be co-creators with God in the care of our brothers and sisters. In the Name of Our Savior Jesus Christ who hears every cry. Amen.