One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will be received during worship on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023
In Isaiah 58, the prophet exclaims, “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” (Isaiah 58:12). As the people of Israel returned from the cloud of exile and struggled to rebuild their lives, Isaiah questioned their efforts: [Are you not called] “to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them?” (Isaiah 58:7).
Then in Matthew 25, we hear Jesus calling to us, “For I was hungry and you gave me food … I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing. … As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:35–40).
The author of Isaiah and Jesus are making an important theological point: Faithfulness to God leads to fixing things that are broken — broken lives, broken spirits, broken hearts, broken relationships, and broken breaches of faith and trust.
When we give to the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering on Palm Sunday, we are helping repair peoples’ lives — people who are hurting, broken, oppressed, lost or in need. The people about whom Isaiah and Jesus spoke. The people we are invited to connect with, today.
You are invited to visit the OGHS website (pcusa.org/oghs) to find out more information on how your gift helps people all over the world, and offer prayers for the people and projects who receive this support. Here’s the breakdown of how the offering is distributed:
PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (PDA) (32% OGHS)
Works alongside communities as they recover and find hope after the devastation of natural or human-caused disasters, and support for refugees
PRESBYTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM (PHP) (36% OGHS)
Takes action to alleviate hunger, care for creation, and the systemic causes of poverty so all may be fed
SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE (SDOP) (32% OGHS)
Invests in communities responding to their experiences of oppression, poverty and injustice and educates Presbyterians about the impact of these issues.