BEATITUDES

Oh, no, I thought, NOT the Beatitues.  NOT gentle Jesus meek and mild, NOT poor in spirit not all that old stuff.  This is going to be boring and awful.  What happened to The Radical Jesus concept that was advertised for this soup and discussion series for Lent?

Pat Spoor wasn't going to let it happen though.  Not the the tired and true.  What do you want to get out of these discussions? she asked.  One reply was, I want to know the radical Jesus.  Another was interested in sharing the meaning and interpretation of scripture for TODAY'S life -- what is it meaning for us RIGHT NOW.  And yet another, a male person, was interested in hearing the feminine interpretation and meaning -- from the time of Jesus, and for now.  Interesting.  Each of us coming to the table with different expectations and desires and yet open to all.

We read The Beatitudes round the group, one verse at a time.  Then we spent quite a while discussing just what it meant to be "poor in spirit" and just what was "spirit" anyway.  The offerings were varied and heartfelt.  We went on to talk about the grieving of loss and what was comfort; and what it meant to be 'meek.'  Words, words, words and how they struck each one of us in a different way.

Then a homework assignment.  Assignments actually.  Watch the media.  Notice where the thoughts and meaning of the Beatitudes fit today's circumstances.  AND read on into Matthew -- through chapters ten or eleven -- and be aware of how the Beatitudes were the teachings and preaching of Jesus. 

Next soup supper at Grace Episcopal Church, Norwalk Tuesday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. 

Do come!!

MISSION CONGREGATION 2-13-10

Last Saturday afternoon The Mission Congregation met. For those of us who attend this open gathering, it is important enough for us that we will rearrange personal scheduling to attend. It is worship at its best. We share our stories. We dream. Together we refine those dreams to possibility. And then we work toward reality. It is a beautiful process. And three hours from our beginning we share Eucharist.

During this particular meeting we shared our frustrations and hopes for the merger with Iglesia Betania. We don't know yet if this will happen. If it does, we don't know when. As a group we are definitely on the positive side of the merger and we attend as many of the discernment meetings as possible. Personally, I want this merger. I am getting to know some of the Betania folk and I like them. They are as different from one another as we in our own congregation are.

The Open Air service demanded a lot of our attention. We have been doing this service outdoors on the parking lot labyrinth the last Sunday afternoon of each month at two. I am feeling that in order for it to become more attended, we should have it EVERY Sunday. We know that this is so but we don't know how to make it happen at this point. There just are not enough of us to do it. It involves Saturday sandwich making for take-away lunches for the attendees; set up before the service and clean-up after the service; and of course clergy. All of this in addition to our involvement in the regular ten o'clock services.

And then there is the consideration of location. Some think that we should move the service to another part of town where we would be more visible to the homeless. AND we discussed not having the customary canopy under which our portable altar usually resides. AND what about blocking off the area from parking cars? We decided to change nothing. For now.

We discussed having another "Social" for the Community at Grace -- all of the groups who hold there meetings in the spaces of Grace. A chance to meet new people. An opportunity to learn about other groups. AND we had the idea of a "tag" tree kind of thing that people could become aware of the opportnities that abound within the Grace Community. We will continue this dicussion at the Sandwich making on the 27th.

Oh, yes, and we touched on what it might look like if we removed all the front pews in the church and replaced them with chairs. Maybe even move the altar down. Maybe even have some experimental liturgy at another time than the regular serive.

Want to experience some of this excitement? We next meet on March 13 at 1:00 p.m. All you need is to be curious; open to new ideas and different ways of doing things; capable of listening; oh, and a sense humor helps too. We laugh!

Welcome! Do come!

HOSPITALITY

This evening I am the Grace Host. Something I signed on for over a year ago. Sometimes I have to make myself get to church on a Thursday evening after work in the rush hour traffic on I95. It is worth it. It really is worth the effort.

Being a "host" entails just being here. I sit in the office. I bring my computer so that there is work to accomplish when I am not 'hosting.' I greet everyone with a wave and a friendly hello. It took a while for some of them to accept that a friendly wave was just that, a friendly wave and that I was here consistently the second and fourth Thursdays of every month. And then when they got used to my being here, some of them started stopping and exchanging a little small talk. Now I am familiar enough that sometimes they share confidences.

It is hospitality. There are a lot of groups that meet at our church. There are three AA groups, a manic/depressive group, Literacy volunteers, a local symphony orchestra, it goes on. And that is besides the two other congregations that worship here. How wonderful it would be if there were a host available to meet and greet all of these groups as they arrive for their meetings. So far it hasn't worked out -- for one reason or another. I feel that we need to look at this ministry again and see if we can't figure out how to make it a really important part of how we interact with the community. It isn't being "church," it is being hospitable. It is being human. It is offering a face of caring and acceptance.

FEB 10 AND THINKING .......

It has been way over a month since my last writing. Too long to be accountable to anyone who follows me OR just happens to drop in. I have been really hung up on format and content. Recently there have been many blogs with just wonderful photos -- daily. And blogs with terrific themes. My photos are not that great and my life is boring.

Howsomever, there are things going on that need posting and discussing. AND Lent is coming up altogether too soon and I am NOT going to bog myself down into some kind of Lent ritual/discipline. What I am going to do is to be a little more active here. And hope that there are followers of my blog who will comment and participate in discussion.

I am linked on the http://www.graceb2u.com/ site which is Grace Episcopal Church. I am an active member. I am passionate about some of what is happening at Grace. I plan to talk about that -- A LOT. I have really strong opinions about 'stuff.' Sometimes that's good, sometimes not. I will always listen to another opinion with an open mind.

There are two Lent offering in which I plan to participate and I will comment on both of those. There is merger talk going on and I will certainly comment about that. The Mission Congregation that meets once a month is a reall passion of mine and I plan on commenting about this group -- which, by the way I feel is the REAL Grace Church.

Don't be shy about comments. Just be polite and respectful to one another.