Today’s Scripture: Galatians 5:19-25; John 14:27

Reflection by Jeri Arent

As many of you may know, I am a retired librarian. I worked for Columbus Metropolitan Library and enjoyed my 30 years there as a reference librarian who helped library patrons find information and materials they wanted. ( I love to “look things up” ) After I retired, I wanted to continue helping people but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a volunteer.  I led tours of a historic house in Worthington as a volunteer at the Worthington Historical Society, but I wanted to do more to help people less fortunate than I.

I had always wanted to sew and had a fascination with quilts and quilt making, but I had not taken the time to learn how to make a quilt.  I admired quilts and comforters, and was amazed by them, but I was not sure I could do that kind of sewing.

Judy Hartzler and I often chatted about quilts and quilt making when we worked together at the library. Many years before I retired, Judy had invited me to a quilt auction at the Ohio MCC Relief Sale in Kidron, Ohio.  I had never heard of MCC or had any idea what they did. I enjoyed the auction, watching quilts and comforters being auctioned off, sometimes for very high prices and all to be given away. It was amazing to me.

After I retired, Judy invited me to come to her church and help with a group that made comforters.  She asked me to come to help set up quilt frames for a knotting party.

All this was a mystery to me having never set up a quilt frame nor knotted a comforter.  As a total novice, I wondered how I would fit in.

Well, I was overwhelmed by the warmth and welcome of this group.  I also was impressed by how hard they worked and learning about the beautiful comforters they made to give away! The best part was, I had found a way to give to others and learn to sew a comforter top as well. Enjoying the get togethers of this group, the sewing and chatting, lead me to attend church here, and so here I am, 10 or more years later, speaking at our comforter blessing this year.

Each year, we place comforters on the pews and appreciate their warmth and fabric, celebrating that people worldwide will receive these bright, puffy tokens of our distant love.   The label we attach tells them that this comforter was made with love by Columbus Mennonite Church.

These comforters will travel to the MCC Headquarters in Ohio in Kidron in Wayne County, where they are compressed into airtight bags to be shipped around the world.  In 2024, 53,601 comforters were distributed by MCC from all over the United States.

MCC is a global nonprofit organization of many denominations that strive to share God’s love through relief and peace making.

Besides comforters, MCC distributes hygiene kits, many hundreds of pounds of canned meat, and my favorite, school kits because I loved school supplies when I was a kid.

This year our church is sending 250 comforters from our church to join others from all over the United States to be distributed. These 250 add to more than 3000 comforters Piecemakers have sent to MCC over the years. Knotters knotted comforter number 3000 at our knotting party this year.

But, as is often said by members of our group, this is not a numbers contest.  This is a labor of love for others who don’t have a comfortable home to live in or a peaceful place to sleep. It all becomes real when I see a photo of a smiling young boy holding two comforters that his family received from MCC when they were living in the basement of a bombed-out building.

Reflection by Addy Steiner