What does the Transportation Ministry do? We attempt to fulfill transportation needs for the members of First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown. These needs would be short term transportation of persons to therapy sessions, for medical treatment or to church functions if they are otherwise unable to drive. Often it is more convenient for the individuals to arrange for transportation with neighbors, relatives, or other friends. But when that cannot be done, we will attempt to drive or arrange with others from the church to drive the individual. In the past we also had transported Clients of The Guiding Eyes to church and they showed much appreciation for that.
To carry out this ministry we need a list of persons who are willing to do the transportation. In February the Deacons will be enclosing a sign- up sheet in one of the Sunday Church Bulletins to help with a number of Deacon Ministries including Transportation. Or you can directly let me know (c.radke@computer.org or 914-962-4370). The mission of the Deacons is to help others so feel free to help us do our Mission. Thank you. ~Chuck Radke
The topic of our Deacon’s Transportation Ministry has been coming up of late at our monthly meetings. I looked up the words “transportation” and “ministry” in the dictionary and on-line. Transportation was defined several ways but the one I focused on was “ a means or system of conveyance; the work or business of conveying passengers or goods.” There were also numerous meanings for Ministry but the one that spoke to me was “ the act of serving or ministering.”
How many times do we see “a means or system of conveyance” used to serve or minister? Look at Mary who rode a donkey led by Joseph all those miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem while heavy with child. Think about all the times in the Bible that Jesus used a fishing boat to travel from one side of the Sea to the other to teach and preach to large crowds. Jesus rode in on a small colt – the foal of an ass – into Jerusalem that last Monday before giving himself up for us.
I thought of the story in Mark chapter 2 when Jesus was healing the sick in Capernum and there were so many crowds gathered in and around where Jesus was staying that there wasn’t room for any single person more – not inside or outside of the house!!
Do you remember what happened next? Four friends of a paralyzed man wanted to bring him to Jesus so much that they climbed on the roof, dug a hole through the clay and lowered their paralyzed friend on his stretcher right down in front of where Jesus stood.
On seeing how fervently the four friends and the paralytic believed, Jesus was moved to say,” Your sins are forgiven.” This absolutely incensed the religious leaders who were not only horrified that Jesus should say this at all but that he should say this on the Sabbath – their legally required day of rest! The Jewish leaders considered this blasphemy – and, who did Jesus think he was, anyway??
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts not only asked the leaders why this bothered them but went on to say he had authority to forgive sins. But talk is cheap he told them. Let me show you one better. Jesus looked at the paralytic and commanded, “Pick up your stretcher and go home.” The man jumped up, took his stretcher and pushed his way out through the stunned onlookers.
I wonder if the man thought, “Thank God for friends! Thank God for their “Transportation Ministry!” I think so? Do you?
This is the same Jesus who rode in on a lowly donkey on Palm Sunday and on Thursday of that week washed all of his Disciples feet. In John 13:14b it is written that this same Jesus commanded his Disciples to do likewise – to become servants – he meant that we are all to serve in any way possible – our Lord and Master as well as all our brothers and sisters in The Kingdom. And I’m thinking that this would be why we have Deacons and their many Ministries today!
-Carol Thorne-Gaetani for the Deacons