Last week, the young adults of Westminster got out of the church building and worked in a vacant lot in the South End of Albany. We hope this will be the beginning of many more opportunities to partner with our neighbors. _"God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them." Genesis 1:27 (CEB) All of these people are made in the image of God. All means all! Pray over these faces, over the places they are from and the lives they lead. Pray for the people around you as you read this. Pray for yourself and the eyes to see the image of God in everyone you meet. While the Occupy Movement may not be in the national spotlight these days, the movement continues. A new initiative underway may not be what you think of as radical social upheaval.
A group within Occupy Albany is mobilizing significant momentum for urban farming. You may be wondering what the Occupy Movement has to do with the labor-intensive, patience-demanding work of farming. Aren't these people about yelling in the streets and trespassing in parks? When did they become so pedestrian? Local farming is a catalyst for diverse social change. If you don't believe me, ask Michael Pollan. He comes at the issue from a different framework than the Occupy Movement, but they end up in the same place. He cites that during the 1940s Victory Garden movement, 40% of produce consumed in the US was grown in home gardens. People in their backyards or neighborhood parks shared the work to produce enough food to share. If that's not good news for the 99% I don't know what is. If you would like to get involved in Occupy Albany's gardening initiative, please let me know. An organizing meeting will take place in the next few weeks. At Night Church, worshipers interact with prayer spaces throughout the sanctuary. This past Friday, one prayer space in particular invited worshipers to take sustenance for their journey of faith.
Several foods are on a table, each labeled with a different characteristic of Jesus: honesty, compassion, humility, grace and love. Here is an excerpt from the directions- When we choose to follow the path of Jesus, we begin to live how Jesus tells us is the best way to live. The Holy Spirit starts to change us from the inside out, making us into the people God meant us to be. Look at the different characteristics of Jesus on the table before you and think about which characteristic needs the most work in your life. When you have chosen the one you need most help with, go to that area and follow the directions. It just so happened that a lot of people needed more grace in their life (chocolate represented grace on this table). This prayerful action has really stuck with me these past few days. Lent is a journey, a journey where we walk alongside Jesus through his most difficult days. Jesus also walks alongside us when we are going through difficult times in life and gives us sustenance for the journey. What do you need most in your life now? During these 40 days, reflect on your faith journey and your relationship with God. Ask God for that particular food you need to get through today and the length of your journey of faith. |
Frances Wattman Rosenau
Pastor, friend, sister, mom, servant of the living God Archives
September 2015
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