Ministry Moments: Hearing God’s Voice Beyond the Limits of Our Own Voices

Hearing God’s Voice Beyond the Limits of Our Own Voices

With the tragic loss of both parents and a sister within a year, a voice inside Elder Bob Teta told him that Thanksgiving would never be the same. Still, a chance, or rather a purposeful, encounter with the Holy Spirit helped lead him and the First Presbyterian Church of Glenolden to think about family Thanksgiving in a whole new way. With this nudge to expand the circle of who is “family,” they began reaching out to their community inviting whoever was in need of fellowship and a good meal on Thanksgiving to attend.

As this event expanded beyond their own dreams, from 40 meals the first year to over 2,000 before the pandemic, they were often confronted, face to face, with the fear of not having enough to meet the needs of the dinner. Yet, the Holy Spirit was there directing them, time and time again, to Jesus’ parable of “The Loaves & Fishes,” where they were reminded that if they trusted God enough to start this ministry, then they could trust God to provide throughout it.