Members and Friends of Austin Mennonite Church I pray you are refreshed as you continue your journey of faith. Our hearts sense the pain God suffers because of the desperate conditions that repress the lives of so many persons in the earth. It is impossible for most of us to imagine the hopelessness of those who have been denied place and participation in meaningful work and relationships because of class distinction, economic disparity, or physical limitation. The ancient prophets speak with compassion for these persons, and they have a particular attraction for Jesus. He intentionally sought their company and routinely weighed into religious practices that ignored and neglected their plight. Did Jesus have an advantage which made it more effective for him to engage these persons than it is for us to do so? Could his power to open blind eyes, to unstop deaf ears, to straighten bent frames, to cure all diseases, and to fill empty stomachs make his presence more commendable company than we might be for the disenfranchised even with our earnest ambitions? Faith in God's intention for the creation ushered Jesus into this poorer community. If we are to be with him, we will go there too. .So what did Jesus intend to accomplish for the poor? How did he help them? These thoughts will compose the sermon for this next Sunday, "Helping the poor find .." During the month of September we have opportunity to reaffirm our covenant to be church together. A copy of the agreement is attached. Persons desiring to make this pledge will be able to sign the covenant during the offering portion of our worship services. We will celebrate our communion with God and each other on Sunday, September 24. May it go well with you. Sincerely, Garland Robertson