Cilantro, Heavy Lifting, and Sales Receipts

The "Tuesday Team" was back at it yesterday; we prepared Mexican Chili for today's lunch at The Largest Table. I woke up this morning looking forward to lunch - the smells were great as we were leaving last night! The chili will be served with a dollop of sour cream and a few snips of fresh cilantro from the children's garden. There was something really thrilling about being able to harvest a huge amount of fresh cilantro from right outside our doors and know that it was the children of the church who planted it. I am sure not everyone will opt for the cilantro garnish today, but I think it is what will make this soup.

I also have a renewed appreciation for Joan and Mary, and our core "Wednesday Team." Between all of the cans of tomatoes, beef broth and black beans that were opened to make chili for 300 last night, I think Latsi was opening cans for more than an hour straight! I am sure she will be able to feel the workout on her arms this morning. And then there was Stephanie who was able to lift our largest pots FULL of browned ground beef, onions, and peppers to drain them and return it the pan. But that is not at all unusual. Our volunteers often need to open that many cans. We always have full and heavy pots. The quantities of food we are preparing now are really quite amazing. I wish I had taken a photo of all of the empty cans - maybe I can get one later today and post it here. Think multiple cases that filled the entire back of my car! So, I have renewed appreciation for the physical labor that our volunteers engage in week after week.

I also have a renewed appreciation for their thriftiness. I am not sure how Joan does it. Routinely, she is able to shop for a meal to serve 200-300 people for less than $200. That is less than $1 per serving for a home cooked meal with all of the food groups. Repeat: I am not sure how Joan does it. I think of myself as a pretty good shopper, but I wasn't quite able to work her magic. I think she has the in with the loaves and fishes guy.

God's Punctuation

Greetings from the UCC General Synod #GS27!

I arrived in Grand Rapids earlier today for the UCC General Synod. Grand Rapids has rolled out the red carpet for what is shaping up to be the largest convention to ever be held in this city. I get a thrill of seeing so many different people together in one place, bound together by our commitment to Christ. However, the highlight of the day for me was this evening's worship service that featured the choirs and the Rev. Otis Moss, III, from Trinity UCC in Chicago.

Any day I get to hear Rev. Moss preach is a good day! He is so skilled, and smart, and filled with the Spirit! Tonight Moss preached on Revelation 1:1-8 and talked about "God's punctuation;" he brought the Still Speaking comma into a whole new perspective. I won't share the whole sermon here, only one thought that emerged as Moss was just getting started that has stayed with me. Moss says that since God is the "Alpha and the Omega," and the "Beginning and the End," only God can really use a period. Too often, we are quick to put a period after things. We consider lives, or circumstances, projects or dreams to be "said and done." When we don't think that there is any use to keep exploring, working, or dreaming, we attempt to finish it off with a period. Moss put this into context most clearly for me when he spoke about children.

No child should ever enter this world with a period behind his or her name. No child should ever enter this world or live in a world where people have his or her future figured out before he or she does. Every child should enter this world and be nurtured in this world with a question mark behind his or name - a question mark that signifies that whoever he or she is to become is something that will unfold with the grace of God, hard work, and the nurture of those around them.

It reminds me of Paul who will sometimes sing for us in church a song about how each of us is "full of possibility." How might we more fully cultivate this sense of possibility, this life with a big question mark for each of us?

God-Sized Hearts for Parents

Jesus welcomed children and taught adults. We welcome adults and teach children. Someone’s got this backwards, and I don’t think it was Jesus.

This quote, from Marian Plant’s book, Faith Formation in Vital Congregations, caught my eye, and I knew I needed to read the rest of the book. Plant does an excellent job of looking at the whole area of Christian Education, or perhaps more appropriately called “Christian Formation.” It is an area of ministry in the church that I have always cared very much about.

Reading Plant’s book helped me integrate what I know I have known, but haven’t known how to accommodate, respond, or adapt to: “we are not in Kansas any more.” No longer are the church and society woven together in the same ways they were when I was growing up as a child. No longer do the schools and community life support the life of the church. This is most dramatic with the sports schedules, but is apparent in many other ways, too – with an increasing commitment to pluralism of all kinds. This presents an opportunity to create new and distinctive forms of formation.

In addition, Plant highlighted for me how parents and families are both exhausted and spiritually hungry. I have understood the exhaustion. I have sensed the hunger. Plant has challenged me to hold both of these needs together and find new ways to meet them. Rather than try to figure out how to “fit in” programs or lure kids to Sunday School, I think we need to shift the questions we are asking. How can we have God-sized hearts for parents? How can we meet the needs of the PARENTS who are trying to do all they can for their kids, recognize they can’t, and have many of their own spiritual needs that are left unmet?

I am most interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas about this.

Treasure Garden

The east side of the church building has a new look to it. What used to be a green patch currently looks like a bunch of dirt, and with the right amount of TLC this space will soon be sprouting all sorts of vegetables!

The children of the church have planted what they are calling the "children's treasure garden" with the hopes that their produce will provide an abundance for The Largest Table and the food pantry. The kids did an awesome job of planting an assortment of great stuff. They seem pumped up about it - and they should be - this is a big endeavor and they are responsible for nearly every aspect of it. In addition, I am especially grateful for Jim Beaver who prepared the soil, and the Garretts, who helped nurture the plants from seed and who provide much needed guidance for this new project. Scott Schieber has been instrumental as well in not only getting this project going but also keeping "the farm" (as he calls it) watered during the first couple of weeks. We are learning many things as we go!

The next step is to create some sort of schedule for the garden's care. Perhaps in these early stages the kids could take turns being responsible for watering on a specific day of the week. Later, we will not only need to water but also weed and harvest. One of the things we are learning about is the constant care that is needed for steady growth.

"And A Child Shall Lead Them ..."

Last night we had a Budget & Finance meeting. At the meeting we looked at all of the income and expense lines from 2008 and talked about what we expect for 2009. I noted that last year we collected $236 for One Great Hour of Sharing, one of the special offerings for the United Church of Christ.

This year we have already exceeded that total because of the leadership we have had from the children and youth of the church; they are leading our campaign this year. At the beginning of March, the children passed out treasure chest coin boxes and devotional guides to the congregation. Last week, they used the Sunday School hour and the time in the Celebration Station to bake a variety of treats which they sold following worship. I wish I had a photo of the lines of people who were eager to purchase their goods! The bake sale alone made $256.50.

We will collect the coin boxes on Easter Sunday and I have no doubt that we will at least double our offering from last year. I love the enthusiasm the children of the church are creating for this important effort!