Shelley Dring, our Minister writes ” I’d just like to share with you a message of thanks we have received from Simon at North West Leeds Foodbank. In it he mentions “gleaning” which is something we too have been focusing on in our Harvest Festival.
Over the last few weeks we have been reminded that Ruth was a “gleaner” – a gleaner in Boaz’s field. The reason that she was able to glean was because Boaz was intentional about leaving a margin around his fields; his workers would not keep every scrap they picked but would allow others to glean from what was left… a perfect example of God being intentional and not wanting us to keep more than we need.
Simon wrote:
Dear Shelley I’m writing to Thank You and the congregation for your generous harvest donation of food and toiletries to our foodbank . Trusell fooddbanks rely almost entirely on donations (of food or money) to meet the increasing needs of people in our area in these challenging times.
Your donation of 54KG will provide about 128 individual meals.
Bishop Nick Baines, in a recent “Thought for the Day” talked of the Biblical principles of tithing and “gleaning” (Leviticus 19:9-10).
That is, not keeping everything God has given to us ourselves, but building community by allowing the people who have least to collect what they need from what others have to spare.
That’s what were doing by offering a warm welcome and practical support, as well as food, to all who come to our centres.
Thank You again!