Feed My Lambs

A rough-hewn handmade cross blesses the site. Rows of flowers mark the southern boundary. Then row upon row of vegetable plants begin their march to cover 3/4 acres of what used to be St. Timothy's lawn. A small garden has bloomed into an ecumenical project at my church this summer. A parishioner plowed and tilled the bigger space; others came and worked the soil, sowed seed and dug holes for plants. The first crop was radishes, of course! And they found their way to hungry people. Peas came next...30 pounds at one picking. The 150 tomato plants are predicted to produce 2 tons of tomatoes. Volunteers from other churches in the area help weed, harvest and re-plant; it's become a real community project. There is discussion about our church partnering with the Cathedral downtown to process and can produce as that church has a huge kitchen and the ability to meet food regulations. It's a big deal, this garden project. It's a response to Christ's instruction to 'feed my lambs' found in John 15:21.

But it's even more than that. Most of the harvest from this garden goes to non-governmental agencies, i.e. churches and non-profits that serve undocumented peoples...the homeless and those in this country illegally. During my garden photo-taking session, I spoke with one of the garden's founders who told me that all the 'official' Des Moines and state agencies require two forms of ID in order to help/serve clients. This effectively eliminates both the homeless and those undocumented workers in this country illegally; they are turned away leaving it to places like the Eddie Davis Center and churches in the area to help. I've been haunted by this knowledge ever since I heard it. No matter what your political persuasion or how you feel about illegal immigration, no matter if you think being homeless is a matter of poor personal choices...if someone comes to you hungry and in need, you have an obligation to help whether they have the proper paperwork or not!  Whether we decide to send someone back to their own country or back under the bridge to sleep, we should send them with full stomachs and maybe even a sack lunch for the journey. It's the least we can do to feed Christ's 'lambs.'

Strengthen Me...

"Strengthen me, O Lord, with your holy spirit..."
Elizabeth has asked me to do a really hard thing. She would like me to sign on as an adult sponsor for one of the young confirmands currently studying to become a confirmed member of the Episcopal Church next May. Being a sponsor would mean meeting with my confirmand a half dozen times during the next few months, engaging them in conversation about their faith (Elizabeth will provide me with the 'conversation-starter' questions) and attending a church service with him/her at a church other than an Episcopal one. I can certainly make the time to do this. So what's the big deal?? The idea of working with kids and being a faith role model terrifies me! Although I love kids, their curiosity, their energy..I've never thought of myself as being particularly good at relating to them. I keep having flashbacks to teaching Jr.-Sr. Sunday school class when Sunni and Scott were in those grades. It was SO hard and I vowed to never put myself thru that misery again! Middle school was a hard time with Travis...I wasn't sure either of us would survive his 'smart mouth' so typical of those early teen years. And, I keep hearing echoes of past criticism of my skills with kids from someone whom I believed was correct in his assessment. Then there's my almost total lack of knowledge about what it means to be Episcopal...actually the kids could teach me a lot! I've thought about this; I've prayed about it. Elizabeth and I will talk about whether I'm the right person for this service to God, for this ministry. In the meantime, I'll continue to ask God for His direction.

My Ministry

I was startled when Mary spoke to me about this blog, Dona Nobis Pacem, and referred to it as 'my ministry.' I mumbled something about 'it's just some thoughts I have about things on my mind,' letting my voice trail off into that no-man's land of 'let's not talk about this...it makes me uncomfortable.' We didn't discuss it any further, but I've been thinking about it ever since. Do I have a 'ministry?' It's kind of like asking 'am I a Christian?' I don't have a good answer for either. Saying yes to either question would take 'way more self-confidence than I have right now. I used to refer to myself as a 'baby Christian,' one just learning, in Christian infancy. I'm much too old to be a baby anything, so I gave up that terminology. I'm still learning and exploring though, and I know I've found where I need to be in the Episcopal Church. So what about this ministry issue? It sounds a bit pretentious, doesn't it? After all, who am I to minister? I'm a seeker, a learner, a sponge for knowledge, not someone who has answers for others. I'm currently reading a newly-published book called "Your Faith Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church." As I was reading the chapter on identifying what God is calling me to do, I came across this startling sentence: "The Episcopal Church recognizes all baptized people as ministers of God's kingdom...everyone who's been baptized shares a common ministry: representing Christ and his church." It goes on to say that 99% of God's people are called to this important lay ministry. So maybe sharing my thoughts, my questions and my uncertainties is a form of ministry. I bring God to your attention when you read this blog; maybe that's exactly what He wants for both of us today.