Neighbors Donna Schaper But as for that good soil…it bears fruit. - Luke 8:15 I went to a real church supper in a church that had a real kitchen in Conway, Massachusetts. The occasion was the rededication of the sanctuary after a mold outbreak that had shut the place down for three years, which mold outbreak was followed by a flood of the newly refurbished kitchen and downstairs. The small but mighty congregation not only survived but also flourished under these repeat curses. The pastor looks especially good with a paintbrush and the octogenarian members were prohibited from climbing ladders. 5,000 volunteer hours joined serious mold removal professionals in creating a lovely new space. The reason I will remember the supper is not just that it started at 5:30, before our office even closes in New York City. Or that the pork loin, apples with cinnamon, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and berry crisp with whipped cream were not splendid. They were. The reason I will remember this church supper above all the rest is that the neighboring church, the Montague church, prepared the supper for the Conway church. They also cleaned up the inaugural dishes. The band from the local Catholic Church led the music during the worship. A reverse offering was taken. You have endured so much for so long that we are not asking for another nickel. Instead, we invite you to enjoy this chocolate. We usually do brunch in New York City and dont have a kitchen, unless you call a sink and a refrigerator and an island in a corner a kitchen, which I do not. We call it the little kitchen that could, and now I know the little church that could and did and can, too. Prayer O God, thanks for neighbors who know how to be neighborly. Amen. Donna Schaper ABOUT THE AUTHOR Donna Schaper is Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Her latest book is Grace at Table: Small Spiritual Solutions to Large Material Problems.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 11:49:21 +0000