Balance

     It is Wednesday again and I returned to Haywood Street for "Holy Chaos." I worked in the Clothes Closet during the morning for two hours. There was much more business in the first hour than we have in a day at My Sister's Attic. Of course, the price is right -- free. Everything in the Closet is free and we have everything from cat kennels to baby diapers. Mostly we have clothes of all shapes and sizes, something for everyone. Phyllis and the ladies from Mars Hill were not there, but a pretty young African American woman was. She has a four year old little girl. She was very competent in running the Closet.

     In the Clothes Closet there was a young woman who had trouble standing and whose voice was a little strange. I couldn't tell if she was high or not, but I think she was. She was with a young man and they had some friends come in, another young couple, while they were there. She ended up with some clothes and the young man disappeared. She asked for some feminine hygiene products but we didn't have any. One of the staff who runs the dining room had some and brought them to her. I forget how complicated life is if you have no place to lay your head that is under a roof. Another young man came in. Someone had stolen his tent and his sleeping bag during the night. He still had a pillow and an old quilt to lay on, but he needed something more. We found a comforter for him. It stormed last night. How do you survive in inclement weather?

     I went to eat with first shift, but there were no open places. One of the ladies who runs the dining room brought me a plate piled high with food, shepherd's pie, fresh boiled squash, fresh local turnip greens, homemade rolls, green salad, and egg custard. If you had an April birthday there was a huge sheet cake, yellow cake and chocolate icing. As people began to leave chairs opened up and I grabbed one. The food was delicious, as good as it had been last week. The veggies were cooked in salt water, no ham or butter, very healthy. The shepherd's pie had delicious cheese on top of the mashed potatoes and the roll was as big as half the plate. I didn't have dessert.

      As I went back to the Closet until time for the service, I saw Cody, the baby from last week. I confirmed with the mom that he was 10 weeks old. No, he is a few days from being a full 4 months. She had him in a stroller today and he was clean and alert. She had brought a friend with her who had a bigger baby who was in his own stroller and was asleep. There were many more children today, mostly toddlers but two other babies. How hard to have no home and little ones!

     Brian was back. He had his dog with him. His dad sat in front of me in the service and held the dog, a little wire terrier, so sweet. Brian talked about Saul and his conversion experience. He asked the congregation why they thought Paul never mentioned his conversion. One answer was that he was a new person and didn't want to look back. Yes, a good answer. Also, Brian told a story of a young evangelist who went up to a man and asked if he was saved. The man took out a pen and paper and wrote something and then handed it to the young evangelist. It was covered with names and phone numbers. "If you want to know if I am saved, then call all my family and friends and ask how I live." Brian repeated that. He said we are often told we are saved by grace, but God wants to know what we are going to do with that grace. His sermon dovetailed with my program last night at Circle. I talked about balance in service and devotion and the scriptures were the ones about "entertaining strangers who might be angels" and feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison. These were more important than performing miracles or proclaiming good works in His name.

     There had been two deaths this week. A man named Michael had died and a younger man, one who attended the church for a very brief time, had jumped from a bridge. Again we were reminded that Christianity began in a cemetery with death in order to move into new life.

     A woman became a Stephen minister. She was deeply moved as were many in the congregation as we all got up and gathered around her putting our hands on one anothers' back as the minister placed his on her and anointed her. I am beginning to recognize the congregation. There are 7 Stephen ministers in the church. Some work in the kitchen. The songs were "Higher" by Creed and "All is Well with My Soul." Higher was performed in memory of Michael by Ticia who runs the dining room. We all sang All is Well. It was a truly rousing Methodist sing.

     We had communion with many people from the congregation offering the Sacraments. Dogs go down for bread and wine, though they don't partake.

      After the service I went back to the dining room and swept the big second dining room and put table clothes away and wiped the counters. Then I was put to work cleaning the stainless steel in the kitchen. I had made it around about 1/3 the room when Mary Shaw arrived and took over my work so I could leave. It was pouring rain. There was a young couple on a motorcycle who had sought shelter on a side portico as I left. The church is a Sanctuary for many -- me included.