We Are All “Full Bag” Beggars

Whether you are a stay-at-home-parent ministering to your stuffy nosed child, a retiree caring for a loved but ailing, aggravated spouse, a plumber fixing leaky faucets for an inpatient landlord, or an associate pastor serving thousands, you must make time to nurture your own soul.

Before we can serve, we must be served.

Before we can fill others, we must be first be filled.

Martin Luther understood this fact well. He once spoke of how we come to worship with an empty sack, and throughout the service, God drops grace, mercy, and forgiveness into our sack first for us, but also for others. (This concept is well summarized in The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel pp. 22-23)

• When we hear the very Word of God read from the lecturn or preached from the pulpit, grace is dropped in.
• When we hear the absolution, forgiveness is added.
• When we see the sign of the cross and are reminded of the blessings of our baptism, mercy is plopped in.
• When we receive the bread and wine, Christ’s very body and blood, again grace, mercy, and forgiveness are pressed down into our burgeoning bag.

When we leave worship, we go out into the world with a full bag of blessings. Blessings to share to the glory of God and the good of others.

One of the reasons Bread for Beggars exists is because my own beggar’s bag must be filled constantly before I can effectively be used to fill the bags of others.

I personally benefit greatly from the grace, mercy, and forgiveness that permeates the resources shared by the Bread for Beggars team. As I am served, I am prepared to serve my fellow beggars.

First, the beggars sitting around the dinner table with me, then the ones sitting before me each Sunday, and finally, you, who read these written words.

I am hopeful that many of you are similarly blessed by the sights, songs, and stories found here and that you leave this site with bags full of God’s blessings, ready to share with those who need them and you the most.

Not sure what to do with your bursting bag?

Pastor Matthew Harrison eloquently explains what we do with our full bags of blessings:

We leave [worship/study] with the sack over our shoulders and quickly find ourselves in need of what the Lord has given us. Our spouse sins against us, and we sin against our spouse. What do we do? We open our sack. “Here, I have a sack full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Take some. In the name of Jesus take it.” … We encounter a person in need and cannot turn away, “Friend, I have received mercy from the Lord. Please receive the Lord’s mercy and love from me.”

Matthew C. Harrison in Christ Have Mercy: How to Put Your Faith into Action pp. 22-23

Because we have bags and bags full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness (and know where to get even more), we can give again and again to our families and friends, our congregations and communities, and to anyone else in need of God’s good gifts.

My fellow beggars, let’s share and then share some more.

The person is kept cialis mg away from mosquitoes to prevent further transmission. Premenstrual dysphonic problem plus PMS or premenstrual syndrome usually are 2 ailments it occur because with hormone changes that levitra viagra may take place especially during the menstruating never-ending cycle for females, merely because these girls practical experience irritation, tiredness, exhaustion and emotionally charged lack of stability. This pill gives it a chance to client achieve sexual fulfillment without offer cialis generika 5mg ascent to any entanglements. The causes of Osteoporosis vary and may cause back pain and include the following: Drop in estrogen levels. vardenafil pharmacy on sale at website