Yesterday, August 28, was the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Across the nation many people commemorated the event that hastened the changes of the 1960's, which were changes long overdue in the United States. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech was remembered. Two past presidents, President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton, and our current Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Obama, along with Martin Luther King III and many other dignitaries and relatives of the great orator, minister, and leader of the Civil Rights movement spoke at the Lincoln Memorial about where the nation was in the 1960's, where it is now, and where it needs to go.
At Haywood Street Congregation Reverend King was remembered also. Brian began the spoken part of the service with a quote from Dr. King, "The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." He repeated it three times. Our first hymn was "This Little Light of Mine." His message was on Psalm 140:12, "I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor." We read it three times also. Let's hope all our little lights will shine and bend toward justice because the Lord cares so much for the poor.
We had two congregational singers. I wish I could recall their names. One sang a spiritual I had not heard but hope to again and the other was from Edward's church who sang, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
Prayers were offered for the people of Raleigh. Word had come from those who serve the poor and disenfranchised and homeless in the capital city that the workers had been told if they proceeded with their plans to feed the homeless on the streets they would be arrested. The missions are closed on the weekends and there is no where for the homeless to go for food. Prayers were also offered for the homeless of Columbia, SC who were picked up and taken to a field outside town this week and told if they return they would be jailed. (One of the news reports I read on-line said they were told they could enter a "program" at a mission, could be jailed, or would have to leave town. What the article didn't say was that the mission programs are not as readily available as one might believe.)
Barbara Bates Smith, a Companion at the Welcome Table, then put on her hat and her vest and became for a little while, Doris Haddock, Granny D, that grand great-grandmother who walked across America in the early 2000's to bring the message of election reform to the nation. I can't find the exact quotes that Barbara recited from Granny D's address before the Little Rock First Baptist Church, August 22, 1999, a church where Dr. King spoke in 1960, but I am supplying some of the quotes below that are on-line that are excerpts from Doris Haddock's speech.
"There can be no true equality in America so
long as only the rich are represented at the table of power. That is no
democracy. There can be no true justice in America so long as only the
privileged make the rules and build the jails for those outside the
rooms of power. That is no democracy.
***
This is an agenda of love. These things will happen if we are all at the table of power.
***
Only when we sit together at the table of power can we do the right things by our communities.
***
For when we are in the same room, looking
eye-to-eye, speaking heart-to-heart, it is hard for us to deny each
other justice and equality as Americans. If I tell you what my children
need, you will help me provide for them. If you tell me what your
children need, I will help you provide for them. That is the essence of
self-government in a free land."
Jeff Sebens who accompanied Barbara as she spoke played "We Shall Not Be Moved" and the congregation joined in and sang along.
There are many more memorable quotes listed for Granny D. The speech she gave before the judge in the District of Columbia brought tears to my eyes. She was a force to be reckoned with, a force of love, not fear, a force of grace. Thank you, Barbara, for introducing Granny D to us.
Karen and Edward played a moving duet of "Amazing Grace" during Communion. Karen is a gifted flute player and a Companion in the kitchen at the Welcome Table.
Coincidentally, we had something else to commemorate yesterday, Edward's birthday. At Haywood Street we enjoy celebrating the life of Christ given for us, great moments of justice in history, and small moments of joy. Happy Birthday, Edward, and thank you for your glorious music.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Day the Lights Went Out or Seeing the LIght in the Dark
Yesterday at Haywood Street the lights went out in the Clothes Closet and the Library where the haircuts were being offered just as the first hymn was sung upstairs in the service. We have daylight from the glass brick windows, but it is still quite dark in the CC. Customers continued to pour in during the service. I guess this is a good time to discuss the workings of the Clothes Closet since I missed the service this week.
Haywood Street Congregation is unique in so many ways. It is difficult, if not impossible, to explain how it is different and what makes it so, but the Wind of the Spirit blows through the place, surrounds the people, and emanates from the people. The ministry is based on radical hospitality which is centered around choice, free will, if you would. People are accepted just as they are, right now, in this moment, no questions asked, except how can I help you or what do you need? That is what being a Companion in Christ means. Sometimes we can't meet the need. We can't offer a ride or pay a bill or find a place for someone to live or a job that pays money. We can listen, though. We can explore options. We can offer a way for someone to help in the ministry, but most of all we can just be with people, help them know they are heard. Sometimes we fail. Most times at Haywood Street we learn how not to fail in that most important way because we have good models around us who have been doing this for a long time. I told my husband when I first started going to Haywood Street that I wanted to "catch what they had." This Spirit you can catch is seeing more clearly the Christ in others.
Yesterday in the Clothes Closet business was brisk. It has been raining for days, as it has done all summer, and it began raining during the hours Haywood Street is most busy. We had record numbers of people looking for clothes, especially jeans, t-shirts, underwear, and socks. Halfway through the morning we were nearly out of t-shirts, which is unusual. AHOPE used to have a place for people to wash their clothes, but funding was cut and they no longer are able to offer that service. Therefore many customers to the Clothes Closet needed fresh new ones, especially since it was raining. There were many needs that went unmet for umbrellas, rain ponchos, and blankets, now that the nights are getting chilly. We only had one blanket and one sleeping bag to offer and no umbrellas or ponchos. Paper products like toilet paper, diapers, and feminine products were in short supply also.
The lights went out in the Clothes Closet during the service, a fuse blew or someone flipped a breaker, I am not sure what, but we continued to serve people during the service. In fact, one of the miracle moments happened in that dimness. A woman who is going through her third round of chemo came in to get new clothes as she has lost forty pounds. Just as she entered one of the Welcome Table Companions came in with a small bag of clothes from her teenage granddaughter and a man came in with three bags of women's clothes, all beautiful and very stylish. The woman had five teenage children to dress for school as well as herself. Another woman came in who was just shopping. She liked what we were hanging up also. The two began to share the clothes. As it turned out, we were able to outfit the woman who needed clothes for herself and her children with enough for the girls, at least, to start school in style and for the woman to have new clothes that fit. The woman said she felt like God had given her an amazing gift. The real miracle was the interaction between the two women. The one who was not in great need deferred to the other as we put out new items, but the woman with the children began asking the other woman to choose first because of her generosity. In the end they both left items for us to hang up "for someone else" because someone else might need them more. The lights were out, but the Light of the Spirit was burning bright.
People have the choice to attend the service upstairs or to continue to eat or to shop downstairs as they choose. Sometimes the living of the Gospel is as appropriate a praise of God as worshipping Him in song and prayer. Our souls require both. I felt God smiling over Haywood Street despite the rain and the darkness.
Haywood Street Congregation is unique in so many ways. It is difficult, if not impossible, to explain how it is different and what makes it so, but the Wind of the Spirit blows through the place, surrounds the people, and emanates from the people. The ministry is based on radical hospitality which is centered around choice, free will, if you would. People are accepted just as they are, right now, in this moment, no questions asked, except how can I help you or what do you need? That is what being a Companion in Christ means. Sometimes we can't meet the need. We can't offer a ride or pay a bill or find a place for someone to live or a job that pays money. We can listen, though. We can explore options. We can offer a way for someone to help in the ministry, but most of all we can just be with people, help them know they are heard. Sometimes we fail. Most times at Haywood Street we learn how not to fail in that most important way because we have good models around us who have been doing this for a long time. I told my husband when I first started going to Haywood Street that I wanted to "catch what they had." This Spirit you can catch is seeing more clearly the Christ in others.
Yesterday in the Clothes Closet business was brisk. It has been raining for days, as it has done all summer, and it began raining during the hours Haywood Street is most busy. We had record numbers of people looking for clothes, especially jeans, t-shirts, underwear, and socks. Halfway through the morning we were nearly out of t-shirts, which is unusual. AHOPE used to have a place for people to wash their clothes, but funding was cut and they no longer are able to offer that service. Therefore many customers to the Clothes Closet needed fresh new ones, especially since it was raining. There were many needs that went unmet for umbrellas, rain ponchos, and blankets, now that the nights are getting chilly. We only had one blanket and one sleeping bag to offer and no umbrellas or ponchos. Paper products like toilet paper, diapers, and feminine products were in short supply also.
The lights went out in the Clothes Closet during the service, a fuse blew or someone flipped a breaker, I am not sure what, but we continued to serve people during the service. In fact, one of the miracle moments happened in that dimness. A woman who is going through her third round of chemo came in to get new clothes as she has lost forty pounds. Just as she entered one of the Welcome Table Companions came in with a small bag of clothes from her teenage granddaughter and a man came in with three bags of women's clothes, all beautiful and very stylish. The woman had five teenage children to dress for school as well as herself. Another woman came in who was just shopping. She liked what we were hanging up also. The two began to share the clothes. As it turned out, we were able to outfit the woman who needed clothes for herself and her children with enough for the girls, at least, to start school in style and for the woman to have new clothes that fit. The woman said she felt like God had given her an amazing gift. The real miracle was the interaction between the two women. The one who was not in great need deferred to the other as we put out new items, but the woman with the children began asking the other woman to choose first because of her generosity. In the end they both left items for us to hang up "for someone else" because someone else might need them more. The lights were out, but the Light of the Spirit was burning bright.
People have the choice to attend the service upstairs or to continue to eat or to shop downstairs as they choose. Sometimes the living of the Gospel is as appropriate a praise of God as worshipping Him in song and prayer. Our souls require both. I felt God smiling over Haywood Street despite the rain and the darkness.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Prayer
Today at Haywood Street there was a very large crowd, more people than we've had recently when we opened the Clothes Closet. The Tuesday folks had put in some new round rods for shirts and moved out some of the long rods. They used up all the hangers, which was good because there were lots of clothes hung, but then we didn't have any hangers to use to hang the bags and bags of clothes still not hung up. The newsletter is requesting more hangers again.
We had two families who had 8 children between them, all under 10, I'd say. At lunch there were other people with new babies. The Clothes Closet had a good stock of children's clothes and we got a new bag full as I was going to lunch. That was a good thing. As school starts I am sure we will need more clothes.
A group from Birmingham Southern College in Birmingham were visiting. Six young men who think they want to become ministers were there with Susan Clopton's sister. They were attending a conference in Junaluska and had heard about Haywood Street and had to come. It was good to visit with Susan's sister and to send good wishes back to B'ham and Trinity and Jill Layne and Susan.
Lunch was delicious, as usual. It was all comfort food today, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, cabbage, biscuits, salad, and ice cream. My table had two young mother's and a dad with his daughter about 7 or 8 and some other men. One of the babies was only 7 days old. She was so tiny.
At church I sat next to Jody, who is heading the organization of the respite center, and Susan, who is organizing the Walk of Awareness. Brian's parents were both there and they served communion. Thomas was there and he had served the folks in the CC water and brought me back the recorder which I will listen to later this afternoon and see if we can begin on the book.
The sermon was on the Lord's Prayer, how shall we pray? We sang the Lord's Prayer, we said The Lord's Prayer, and then we studied it. Brian said that we are to "bother" God with our constant prayers. Indeed, Jesus often talks about prayers by those who don't give up. The Lord's Prayer is an example of our side of the conversation with God who is our Father, not some distant, condemning being. We keep his name holy, we want his Kingdom to come and we can do this by doing His will(though this was not discussed in the sermon), we ask for our daily bread, no more, no less, we ask to have our debts forgiven. We don't want God to come repossess us. We have to forgive everyone else's debts, however. We ask that we not be led into temptation and that we be delivered from evil. All of these things are corporate, not singular requests. We are all one in this relationship with God.
I have not written in a long time, two weeks. I have been at Haywood Street for Journey Group, Walk of Awareness meetings, Holy Chaos of Wednesdays, and to hear Brian at Mars Hill. I think I am still thinking through all these activities and meetings and will have to come back later and revisit them.
We had two families who had 8 children between them, all under 10, I'd say. At lunch there were other people with new babies. The Clothes Closet had a good stock of children's clothes and we got a new bag full as I was going to lunch. That was a good thing. As school starts I am sure we will need more clothes.
A group from Birmingham Southern College in Birmingham were visiting. Six young men who think they want to become ministers were there with Susan Clopton's sister. They were attending a conference in Junaluska and had heard about Haywood Street and had to come. It was good to visit with Susan's sister and to send good wishes back to B'ham and Trinity and Jill Layne and Susan.
Lunch was delicious, as usual. It was all comfort food today, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, cabbage, biscuits, salad, and ice cream. My table had two young mother's and a dad with his daughter about 7 or 8 and some other men. One of the babies was only 7 days old. She was so tiny.
At church I sat next to Jody, who is heading the organization of the respite center, and Susan, who is organizing the Walk of Awareness. Brian's parents were both there and they served communion. Thomas was there and he had served the folks in the CC water and brought me back the recorder which I will listen to later this afternoon and see if we can begin on the book.
The sermon was on the Lord's Prayer, how shall we pray? We sang the Lord's Prayer, we said The Lord's Prayer, and then we studied it. Brian said that we are to "bother" God with our constant prayers. Indeed, Jesus often talks about prayers by those who don't give up. The Lord's Prayer is an example of our side of the conversation with God who is our Father, not some distant, condemning being. We keep his name holy, we want his Kingdom to come and we can do this by doing His will(though this was not discussed in the sermon), we ask for our daily bread, no more, no less, we ask to have our debts forgiven. We don't want God to come repossess us. We have to forgive everyone else's debts, however. We ask that we not be led into temptation and that we be delivered from evil. All of these things are corporate, not singular requests. We are all one in this relationship with God.
I have not written in a long time, two weeks. I have been at Haywood Street for Journey Group, Walk of Awareness meetings, Holy Chaos of Wednesdays, and to hear Brian at Mars Hill. I think I am still thinking through all these activities and meetings and will have to come back later and revisit them.
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