Gratitude and petitions, praise and sorrow, poverty and wealth … Like often in life, the boundaries are blurred. Far too many people have too little to live on, and only relatively few have enough of everything.
Reflections on Thanksgiving
All good things come from God. Thanksgiving is dedicated to expressing thankfulness to the Giver of all gifts. It is observed by Christians in many countries across the globe, including India. There New Apostolic Christians celebrate Thanksgiving with deep gratitude and joyful singing. The altars are decked out with a particularly rich display of flowers, fruits, and produce. The variety showcases the abundance God has given to His people, and it is only a small expression of the many things that they are thankful for. This abundance is a sign that God knows how to bless His children. Here is a link to the website with photos of the magnificently adorned altars.
A reminder of World Food Day
People’s concern for the world climate, combined with calls for taking responsibility for the environment are currently on everyone’s lips. World Food Day also plays into this concern. It is observed every year on 16 October and draws attention to the fact that millions of people suffer from malnutrition.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that more than 820 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. That is one in nine people, most of them in Asia and Africa. Every year about 9 million people die of starvation; that is more than the combined deaths from HIV/Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis.
As always, those most at risk are children and women. UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, reports that one in three children under five is ill and not growing well because of malnutrition—a total of some 200 million children.
“Let’s not forget the many millions of people who go hungry every day! Anyone who is grateful for what God gives him will not simply be indifferent to the suffering of others,” says District Apostle Michael Ehrich from the District Church Southern Germany. The Church’s own charity, human aktiv, regularly provides for people suffering from hunger-related causes at home and abroad.
A special tribute to a Bishop
He was a faithful, compassionate shepherd, a man after the heart of those entrusted to him. As Bishop he led the New Apostolic Church in Poland and was the responsible Church president there for many years. He worked as a Bishop for more than thirty years. On 9 October 2019 Waldemar Starosta died after a serious illness. He was only 64. His guiding principle: “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15: 10).
Thanks to his perseverance, Waldemar Starosta managed to implement the legal status of the Church both in Polish society and public life. For years now, to name just one example, New Apostolic divine services marking special occasions are regularly broadcast on national radio and television. In his obituary, District Apostle Rüdiger Krause wrote that his thoughts are especially with the Bishop’s family: “May our heavenly Father comfort them.”