Rector’s Note: The Spiritual Gifts of Rummage-5.1.25

As the parish’s spring Rummage Sale gets underway today (get all the sale dates and times here)  I’m reminded again of the many parish values that are captured and expressed in these sales, from community building to climate care.

To be sure, our rummage sales generate important revenue for the parish – last program year they contributed more than $16,500 to the general budget and to our community partnerships. But they also go far beyond that.

Building and Strengthening Community

The semi-annual sales, held in the fall and the spring, build community in so many ways. Under the direction of Jeanne Robson, a really dedicated cadre of volunteers from the parish and beyond donate, sort, set up, tidy and manage these events, starting days before the doors open to the public. The Rummage Sale is a reunion of sorts for some who travel a distance to help each year. You can get an overview of all the work that goes into putting on these sales here.

It’s also an important event for our wider community. Programs like this provide “edge places” in a parish’s ministry, offering positive experiences of a faith community at work. Sometimes the parish hall is as close as some people can comfortably get to a church, so it’s essential that every time we welcome community members into our spaces, they can experience our mission of being a “community of people rooted in God's love, growing through God's grace, reaching out to all.”

Often the Rummage Sale rolls around right when people are cleaning out houses after a loved one dies, or as they are downsizing or preparing for a move or a change. Managing the material of a household can be quite overwhelming and knowing that there is a place to bring it, and people who appreciate the story behind it, can be a real comfort. The Online Random Rummage Sale is especially helpful in this regard, as it happens throughout the year. Kate Boyce works hard to help people make connections and find homes for large or unique items through this platform. Email her at rummagesale@stpetersglenside.org to receive her emailed list of goodies for sale or to sell items throughout the year.

Affordability

At a time when paychecks and financial futures are particularly precarious, a church Rummage Sale can really come to the rescue. Seeing the parish hall filled with so many items is not just a sign of how much stuff people acquire, but also how much capacity people have to give things away or share with others.  I also love how sales like this draw a diverse crowd, from bargain hunters, to young parents, to people scraping by. Experiences of mutuality, diversity, common cause, giving and receiving, are particularly powerful ways to resist the tribalism and the judgementalism that is pervasive right now.

Protecting the environment

Rummage sales keep items out of landfills. They promote reuse, which is essential to curbing our addiction for new, cheaply made goods. And they lower the carbon footprint of purchasing, in that reuse does not create chains of waste and labor exploitation that accompany the ongoing demand for new goods. This article from the Story of Stuff is a good reminder of the power of social media platforms and influencers to promote out-of-control consumption. The church rummage sales invite us to take stock of what we have and how we acquire it and what it means to pare down and give away.

Supporting Others

In just a few days, we can’t sell all the donated items that come through our doors. Come Saturday all the leftover items will be packed up and shared with other groups that sell previously used items.  Leftover items from our spring sale support the thrift shop ministry that the Rev. Jose Luis Memba runs in his city churches. In the fall, such items go to Whosoever Gospel Mission and Vietnam Veterans of America.

Stewardship

This year, St Peter’s has committed to telling stories of stewardship all year round, the kind that goes beyond a pledge and reflects our ongoing investment in ministry and mission. Our Rummage Sales are one of our best examples of this, combining all the gifts of time, talent and treasure that build the parish’s stewardship muscles. And they are also an opportunity to express gratitude, for all who work together to make these events, both semi-annual and online, a rich experience of faith in action.

Thanks to all who have organized, donated, volunteered, shopped and spread the word about these important events!