September 2002

FALL ADULT EDUCATION BEGINS SEPTEMBER 8

The fall adult education calendar has some exciting and interesting new ideas for our discussion and learning. Scheduled for the regular 9:30 time in the Munro Room are:

September 8, 15, 22 – Healing Prayer, led by Barbara Alexander and George Becker

September 29, October 6, 13, 20 – How Do We Forgive? led by Fritz Zuhl, Erwin Barron, and Sam Alexander

October 27 and November 3 – Care or Cash or Shelter? Battling Homelessness Initiatives, led by Megan Rohrer and guests.

CHILDREN’S CHURCH SCHOOL BEGINS ANEW SEPTEMBER 8

Each Sunday  all children will participate in worship and hear the scripture of the day read with the congregation.  Then we will gather in our children’s corner of the social hall, where the scripture will be retold in the form of an engaging story by creative and exciting story-tellers.  We will take offering, share communion, and sing together.  Then we will divide into age groups for activities related to the scripture of the day.   Plan to join us as we begin an exciting new year of church school on September 8.

24-HOUR VIGIL AND SEPTEMBER 11 WORSHIP SERVICE

Old First will commemorate the attacks of September 11, 2001 with a 24-hour vigil that begins at 7 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 10. It will conclude at 7 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 11 with a worship service.

During the 24 hours  the names of all those who died will be read aloud. There will be a peace-making ritual once an hour, musical interludes and times for meditation and prayer.

The Worship Committee will be asking for your participation in this event in any one of a number of ways, and the Evangelism Committee will also need your help in spreading the word and encouraging your friends, neighbors and co-workers to attend.

That was a day we will never forget, with consequences that will play out for a long time to come.  We will open the doors of our church for a time of remembrance, comfort, community, healing and hope; we will invite anyone who needs any of these things to come inside.

WEDNESDAY EVENING WORSHIP

OK, so you were traveling over the weekend and didn't get a chance to come to worship . . . or maybe you weren't traveling, but somehow just couldn't bring yourself to open your eyes on Sunday, so you didn't make it to church and you feel like you've missed something. There is hope.

There is an alternative, not a replacement, mind you, but an alternative: Old First Presbyterian Church will offer Wednesday Evening Vespers, a worship service from 7:00 to 7:30 pm. (That's right, we're going to hold Sam to an ending.)

Each Wednesday will be a little different: First Wednesday of the month: Evening Prayers (much as they have existed). Second Wednesday:  Service of Healing and Wholeness. Third Wednesday:  Service of Guided Meditation. Fourth Wednesday:  Taizé Service. Fifth Wed-nesday: Service of Holy Communion

We are offering these services for two very important reasons. First, to give each one of us an  opportunity to step away from the stresses of life and be with the people we care about as we open our hearts to the Spirit of God. Second, to offer different kinds of worship to a city in need of spiritual nourishment.

Old First is in a perfect position to offer good news to the city through different kinds of worship. We are a known congregation, and what we are known for is our desire to give to the world around us and to accept  all comers. We have a lovely sanctuary. We are theologically flexible without having lost a sense of theological direction. We have enormous creative resources and an interest in worship within the congregation.

The "experts" who have started worship services at alternative times tell us that it takes two years to firmly establish a service. Especially during these first two years, we need you to be a part of this fledgling effort. So come to worship on Wednesday evening! You'll get a lot out of it, and you'll be part of a group that offers spiritual nourishment to the city.

KERYGMA, THE BIBLE IN DEPTH

Beginning September  18, the Pastor will teach a comprehensive course in the Bible. The class will meet Wednesdays in the Munro Room, 7:40 to 9:30 pm until next June. We will be using the well-known curriculum, Kerygma.

Rather than moving through the Bible book by book, Kerygma traces major themes through both Testaments. Participants will come away with a knowledge of the content of the Bible, an understanding of how it fits together and the skills to study the Bible in depth.

Each week participants will be expected to study the upcoming theme through the course workbook. The classes themselves will not "go over the answers." Instead, we will work with selected passages or subjects from the workbook to study in more depth.

Expectations:

     • Regular Attendance

     • Weekly Workbook Assignments (The class will not typically "go over the assignments." Instead, they will provide the basis for further study, reflection and discussion.)

     • Exegetical essay on a Biblical text (To be discussed in class.)

Required Textbooks:

     • New Revised Standard Version of the Bible: I recommend either The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV), or The NRSV Harper Collins Study Bible

     • Kerygma, The Bible in Depth

 There is a $50 registration fee. Call the church office or speak to Sam for more information.

OLD FIRST CHURCH OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 -- 11 AM - 4 PM

during the Polk Street Fair

You know somebody who’d like to see the inside of this church.

Tell them about it!

TOWN HALL MEETING - SUNDAY, SEPT. 29

after worship service

for an update on our Community Ministries

• Welcome Ministry • Tutorial Program • Senior Center

RICHARD BLACKFORD'S "MIRROR OF PERFECTION"

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2002

Richard Blackford's Mirror of Perfection, settings of seven poems of Francis of Assisi, had its American premiere at Old First Concerts in 1999.

It proved to be so popular that Kenneth Matthews will conduct a second performance with the Old First Choir and Friends, and the New Old First Orchestra, along with the Concert Choir of the Piedmont Choirs, under the direction of Martin Benbenuto. Baritone Jay Pierson and soprano Britt La Gatta will sing the solo roles.

This performance, appropriately, is on October 4, the traditional feast day of St. Francis, the patron saint of San Francisco.

THE SOUTH WILL DINE AGAIN ON OCTOBER 5

We haven’t had an Old South Dinner since 1999, so it’s about time we did it again, and Erwin Barron has said, “If you’re going to have one, please do it before I leave at the end of the year.”

We have set a date of Saturday, October 5,

6:30 pm, for more down-home fun and real good cookin’.  If you’re from the South, you’ll love it. If you’re not from the South, you’ll enjoy seeing everybody else making fools of themselves and talkin’ funny.

Southerners are asked to contribute their family favorite side dishes and desserts. The Congregational Care Committee will supply basics like ham and fried chicken and Co’Colas, for which there will be an advance ticket price — through Sept. 22 —of $5 for adults and $2 for “chillun” ages 6-18. After Sept. 22, it’s $7 for adults and $3 for chillun, to cover the costs of trying to outguess you.

NEW PHOTO DIRECTORIES

They’re here at last! If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, look for the Deacons table at Coffee Hour or call your Deacon to get one sent to you.

Pastor Sam advises that the small black and white pictures in the directory don’t do justice to your natural good looks or to his photographic talents. You can’t really tell what your photo looks like until you’ve seen it in color in a larger size.  Once you do, you might want one or more copies of it.

Look for Rosemary Bledsoe at Coffee Hour for an on-screen viewing of the digital image. The Congregational Care Committee will order reprints for you; prices range from $3 for a 4x6 color photo to $12 for an 8x10. You can also get a copy of the jpg file for $5  and do all kinds of creative things with it yourself.

SESSION APPROVES PLAN TO REDESIGN SENIOR CENTER

For 38 years Old First has offered a Senior Center to those older adults who live around us. While the need for ministry to Seniors has not decreased, nor is it likely to, Session and the Mission Committee have become concerned about the vitality of this program.

In a report presented to Session on August 11, the Mission Committee  identified two areas of concern.   1)  “For 38 years we have used the same model for Senior Ministry,  a food and activities model, which does not serve contemporary Seniors as well as it did their predecessors.  Of all the Centers that were organized around this model,  ours is the only one still operating in the same way. Clearly it is time to re-design the program, maybe even take the lead in developing a new model for Seniors ministry.   2)  Because the program has been chronically understaffed,  the center has lost its vitality and with it a great deal of volunteer support.”

Session approved the recommendation that a Senior Center Advisory Committee be constituted, consisting of Mary Culp (Chair), Oliver Spencer, Sarah Taber and Buddy Tate Choy, and that this group,  consulting with the Personnel Committee, hire and advise a director and/or strategic planner. The strategic planning task is to design and promote a spiritual, educational, and recreational program for contemporary Seniors; develop new sources of financial and in-kind support; develop and promote a volunteer program which includes recruitment, training, and evaluation; and evaluate Old First’s entire Senior Ministry, including our ministry at Central Gardens.

The new director is to be hired by September 1, when John Youngbird-Holt is leaving. The committee’s report is to be completed before Session’s January, 2003  meeting, for action before the end of March, 2003.

DINNER CIRCLES

If you signed up for the new season of Dinner Circles, you should be hearing soon (if you haven’t already) about who else is in your circle. If you meant to sign up and haven’t done so yet, please contact Polly Day or Shirley Buono as soon as possible.

LECTIONARY

Sept 1 - Exod. 3:1-15; Ps. 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c; Rom. 12:9-21; 

                        Matt. 16:21-28

Sept 8 - Exod. 12:1-14; Ps. 149; Rom. 13:8-14;  Matt. 18:15-20

Sept 15  - Exod.14:19-31; Ps. 114 or Exod. 15:1b-11, 20-21;

                     Rom. 14:1-12;  Matt. 18:21-35

Sept 22 - Exod.16:2-15; Ps. 105:1-6, 37-45; Phil. 1:21-30; 

                        Matt. 20:1-16

Sept 29  - Exod.17:1-7; Ps. 78:1-4, 12-16; Phil. 2:1-13; 

                     Matt. 21:23-32

Oct 6 - Exod. 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Ps. 19; Phil. 3:4b-14; 

                     Matt. 21:33-46

MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY

10:30 am every Wednesday in the Munro Room to read and discuss lectionary readings for the following Sunday

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS

Dear Friends,

I think we need to be thinking of poor Tom Kearney. Here it is after vacation and nobody warned him that right about this time every year I like to light up the fires. That means, of course, that Tom has lots to do. (You could read this as a plug to volunteer in the office one afternoon a month if you wanted to. Just call him, he'll let you know what he needs.) I could talk about all the stuff that is swirling, but you can read about it in the rest of this newsletter:  Senior Center is retooling and developing in new ways, Wednesday Worship begins this fall, there will be a September 11 Vigil, a Kerygma Bible Class, and so on and so forth.

I have two things on my mind. One is worship and the other is Tim Hart-Andersen.

Some on the Session have suggested that a gentle — or not so gentle — nudge is needed from the Pastor concerning Worship attendance. I mean, I know things fall off in the summer, but this summer has seen a sharper drop than many years. That's all I'll say on the "negative" side. On the positive, I am really interested to see how our Wednesday Evening Vespers develop. Over the next months they will develop and change; I'm hoping that a number of you will find these evening services — or at least some of them — an important connection to one another and to our Lord; the one who cares for us in and through one another. So come to worship; it's getting better and better.

OK, now on to Tim. It has come to my attention that many of you didn't get a chance to talk about Tim much after he left. You were "encouraged" not to, I gather. That may explain why often there is this tense air when his name is mentioned around me. Now, I appreciate the fact that many of you avoid making direct comparisons between me and Tim; at least you've avoided them in talking to me?! And I appreciate the fact that you consistently avoid the words, "The way we used to do it." But let me say two things: First, I'll tell you what I told Tim recently, "I've told you [Tim] before that I think you've done the boundary thing very well, and so that makes it easy for me to feel good about the continued relationships you do have at Old First." No need to shield me from them. Second, I think that a number of you really miss Tim and the way things were when he was here. I wouldn't be a very good Pastor if I wasn't willing to hear about the things you miss in your life. No need to shield me from them, either.  In my view, your missing Tim does not have to be the same as disliking me.  Just a thought to ponder.

Grace and peace —  this world needs it more than ever,

                                                                                                      Sam

NEW BABIES

Hannah Unruh Lee, daughter of Esther Kim and Jonathan Lee, sister of Abigail. Born June 26.

Anne Kai-an Cheng, daughter of Yvonne and Andy Cheng, sister of Samuel and Joshua. Born July 8.

GOODBYE, MISS MERLE

We’ll miss Merle Montgomery, who has moved to Austin, Texas, to be near her family.  She has been an active member of Old First since 1955.

Many thanks to the Board of Deacons for throwing a great farewell party for Merle’s Old First and Van Sac friends on July 27. More thanks are due to the Deacons, especially Mary Russell, for helping with the sale of Merle’s furniture, the proceeds of which will help to purchase new pew bibles for the church.

WELCOME

            Jordan Hollarsmith  was ill when the rest of the Confirmation Class joined the church on June 9, but  she later met with our Session and was received into membership.                

            Jordan was baptized at Ghost Ranch, the Presbyterian conference center in New Mexico and has been active in Old First Church since her family joined in 1990. They live in Noe Valley. She is completing the sixth grade at Live Oak School where she recently had an important role in the drama "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."  She plays soccer and loves to read.

            From Jordan’s Statement of Faith:

            Faith  is a major part of my life. I think it is good to have something to believe in, because then if you are lonely, scared, happy, worried, mad, etc., you can pray. Faith helps to explain things that scientists cannot. For example: miracles; scientists can’t explain that, but faith can. Church lets you meet new people because when you go to church you can make new friends; that way you have more friends than just friends at school. I am glad I go to church.

CONGRATULATIONS

............... to Hugh Swaney and Richard Schnitgen, proud grandparents of three new babies! Hugh’s son Stephen and wife Michelle of Kennewick, Washington, have triplets! The three boys — Alexander James Swaney, Braden Lynn Swaney and Conner McKeel Swaney — were born on July 21. The babies were nearly full term, weighed from 3 lb. 8 oz  to 4 lb. 10 oz, and are doing well.

BAPTIZED

June 30 — Thomas Stuart  Wilson, son of Earl and Jennifer Wilson

July 14 - Juliana Marlo Lo, daughter of David Lo and Amy Marlo.

IN MEMORY

Kathryn Walvoord,  an Old First member since 1940,  died on May 23.

NEW PEW BIBLES -- WHY?

by Pam Byers

Why are we trying to replace our pew Bibles? “The grass withers, the flowers fade; but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  So why would we ever need new Bibles?

True, the Word of God is never “out of date.”  However, the human words by which we read, listen to, and hear God’s word to us do change.  So do our understandings of the original texts.

Our current pew Bibles are the Revised Standard Version, the unparalleled, standard translation for decades.  However, it was first published in 1946.  The 55 years since have brought great advances in our knowledge of the ancient Biblical languages and the cultures in which the Bible was written.  To take just one example, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered the year the RSV was published.  In addition, English has changed a great deal in 55 years -- some words that were common in 1946 are now obscure, and some have changed their meaning entirely.

In 1975 the National Council of Churches commissioned a team of 30 highly respected scholars — Protestants, Catholics, and one Jew — to work together to produce a new translation.  The New Revised Standard Version, published in 1990, is now the standard text for all mainline Protestant churches, the accepted standard for seminary and college study, and devotionally used by millions.   It was lauded on its publication by everyone from Chicago’s late Cardinal Bernadin to Robert Schuller to feminist scholar Letty Russell.  This is the translation that we hope to put in our pews by the end of the year.

The translators reviewed every word of the Bible, working from the original languages.  Their rule was to be “as literal as possible, as free as necessary.”  That is, they translated the Bible very exactly and accurately, but varied from a word-for-word translation where necessary to make the meaning clear.

The changes from the RSV fall into four main categories, all of which make the Bible more usable for personal and corporate worship: The language is somewhat more modern and understandable by contemporary Christians.  For instance, it no longer uses any “thees” and “thous” or their attendant verbs.  The Biblical writers talked to and about God using regular pronouns; so can we. The translation has been corrected when necessary based on new discoveries or scholarship. The translation is clearly rendered in modern, yet reverent English; and special attention has been given to clarity when read aloud. Although (copying the ancient languages), it retains the masculine pronoun for God, it routinely uses gender-neutral terms for people -- also in line with the original texts.  Our use of language in this regard has changed dramatically in the decades since the RSV was written, and the older usage is one of the things that sometimes makes the RSV sound jarring.

Like many or perhaps most Old Firsters, I use the NRSV at home for my own devotion and study and hope very much that we will soon be able to use it routinely in our worship life together.  I have made a contribution toward new pew Bibles in honor of or memory of several people who were important in my faith.  Please think who has helped bring the Bible alive for you, and consider  doing the same!

THE PRICE OF FAITH

by Cindy Burt, Moderator, Stewardship Committee

It's been a difficult year. From Sept. 11, to the anthrax scare, to the war on terrorism, we've been stressed to the max. And, to top it off, we're watching the stock market take a wild ride while we hang on for dear life and see retirement savings evaporate.  Emotionally it’s been a roller coaster ride--mass anxiety and fear lurk in the back of our minds. "Apocalyptic anxiety,"  as one financial analyst called it--the belief that the world is rushing toward some as-yet undefined disaster, aggravated by the fact that we are not sure how disaster will strike.

Into this climate the familiar cycle of new beginnings takes place: excited children start new grades, eager young adults leave for college, anxious politicians seek our votes. Into this climate Old First’s CE program takes off, committees resume their activities after a summer recess, and soon thereafter our fall Stewardship Campaign will begin. A Stewardship Campaign in this climate? I can only quote Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Faith and Money are two words rarely spoken of or heard together. Money and all that it can buy, possessions and what they can mean for our social status and personal comfort, wealth and its power to create or control, may all seem irrelevant or disconnected from the practice and piety of Christian faith.

We may be reluctant to talk about financial matters in serious conversations that involve questions and matters of faith, but we as a culture are consumed with concerns about money, and our lives tend to revolve around getting it, spending it, and having enough of it. Whether or not we think of our ordinary daily decisions about money as being evidence of our deepest faith convictions, they are!  Intentional or not, what we are doing with our money reflects what we believe.  And what we are doing is not only telling others, it is teaching others.

Sometimes it is difficult to remember that God really owns everything, because you and I work hard for our incomes.  We have sweated over our jobs, focused energy on our careers and on making our net worth grow. We have toiled for what we have. But, the truth is that we came into the world with nothing, and we will all leave with nothing.  We may live sixty, eighty, maybe a hundred years, but when we die everything we have accumulated and everything we think is ours will stop being ours—it will pass to someone or somewhere else.  For a few fleeting moments we have possession of a few things, but they belonged to someone before us, and they will belong to others after us.

The air we breathe, the water we drink, the wonder of life itself, the planet we live on, the universe—we brought none of these things into being.  They are gifts we enjoy out of the overflow of God’s love.  The

love of God, the gift of Jesus Christ, forgiveness of our sins, the call into Christian community, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, eternal life—none of these came from us, each is a gift to us from God.

To realize that God owns everything prompts a remarkable shift in our view of stewardship.  Usually, when we think of stewardship we define it as our giving to God or to the church something that belongs to us. But, in the Bible, stewardship is just the reverse—it is our freely using, enjoying, and giving what already belongs to God.  Looking at the world in this new way takes some doing, and some significant changing in how we think about our "possessions," how we use our money, and in our behavior.  God gives us everything. God also calls upon us to give a portion of that away, to pass it along to others.

So… in the weeks before you are asked to commit a portion of what has been given to you, take a look at how you have been using your time and talents. How much you have been given to others?  How much you have been giving to the church?  Stewardship Sunday will be on November 17--the day we will dedicate our pledges to Old First.  But, Stewardship Sunday is not just about pledging to the church.  It is a symbol that means giving ourselves to God.  We have been marked with God’s love and grace, mercy and generosity.  Give your money and time and energy; give them in love. You aren’t giving them away; you are giving them to the God to whom you belong.  Give to God what is God’s.  This is our challenge and our opportunity!

OLD FIRSTERS MARCH IN 2002 SAN FRANCISCO GAY PRIDE PARADE

by Jeanne Kirkwood

With last year's postponement of the passing of Amendment "A", the Session of Old First authorized a short term and a long* term response. The immediate and visible short term response was to commission, for the first time, participants in San Francisco Gay Pride Parade on June 30, 2002.  The theme of the parade was "Be yourself,  change the world". During the Sunday worship on that day, right after the "Assurance of Forgiveness", our pastor Sam Alexander lead the congregation in the "Commissioning of Walkers" as follows:

            Leader:   Many of us have strong feelings about the exclusion that meets our Gay and Lesbian members in the Presbyterian Church, USA. We ask you to march in today's parade and show the world that we at Old First do not believe such exclusion is of God.

            People   So go, represent our congregation. Be ambassadors for Christ. Tell those you see that we welcome all who seek to know our Lord. Tell them that we believe our Lord longs to welcome everyone into the kingdom of God.

Since the religious groups are traditionally positioned towards the end of the march, we had plenty of time to attend worship and get to our parade position. The members and friends of Old First who were commissioned and/or walked included Alison Armstrong, Susan Ashton, Erwin Barron, George Becker and Christo Bresnahan, Michael Berg, Erin Berg and her friend Zack, Betsy Chiao, Forrest Cummings, Kelly Cunningham and her friend Elizabeth Wickland, Bob Hermann and Dan Joraanstad, Jeanne Kirkwood, Bill Moss, Bryan Nichols, Glen Premo, Linda Reyder, AnnieScott Rogers, Mary Russell, Richard Schnitgen and Becca Smith.

Over 20 of us joined the More Light Presbyterian Group and at about 90 total, we were one of the largest of the religious contingents. Members of Montclair Presbyterian Church (Oakland) were the prime organizers of our group and they did a stellar job. There was a proud More Light banner announcing us as Presbyterians. We followed a truck carrying the Barrel-House Jazz Band, which was a big hit with the crowd. The More Light churches carried individual placards naming their churches, including Keenan Kelsey from Noe Valley Presbyterian. Many of us wore T-shirts and/or hats with the Old First logo. The religious grouping was an ecumenical bunch of Christians and the crowd seems quite receptive. It was remarkable that so many people stayed to the end, considering that the parade started about 10:30 am.

The day was warm, the crowd was mellow and our walk up Market Street was easy. We did lots of waving and shouted, "Come back to church". I hope we planted some seeds that day - and I also hope that this will become an annual Old First event.

               * The long term response is to form a committee, of course.

MEET ME IN MINNEAPOLIS

by Pam Byers

Many Presbyterians plan their fall around the Covenant Network fall conference.  Old Firsters who’ve attended these conferences in the past know why:  great worship and preaching, outstanding speakers, interesting workshops, and lots of people you will want to meet.  You can ask Jeanne Kirkwood, Sarah Taber, Rosemary Bledsoe, Keenan Kelsey, Gene and Joan Huff, and of course Susan Ashton about them.

This year’s conference should hold particular interest for Old First.  Its topic,  “Confessing Christ Today -  Seeking Common Ground”,  is one we’ve been engaging on and off in our cyber seminar, and one which will continue to challenge the church as we move into this new century. Also, it is hosted by Westminster Church, Minneapolis.  Yes, that Westminster — Erwin Barron’s and Dana Nojima’s former church, now served by Tim and Beth Hart-Andersen.

The conference takes place Thursday through Saturday, Nov 7- 9.  You can find full details, including a registration form, in the CovNet newsletter, in the brochures you’ll find in the Old First narthex, or on http://www.covenantnetwork.org.

I am excited about our lineup of speakers:  Shirley Guthrie, emeritus professor at Columbia Seminary, one of our great Presbyterian theologians who is particularly good at explaining crucial concepts to lay people, will talk about “Christian Evangelism in a Pluralistic Society” -  an issue that surely hits home for us! Anna Case-Winters, a diminutive but powerful feminist theologian from McCormick, will speak on what we mean when we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior. John Wilkinson, the young pastor of Third Church, Rochester, will talk about the Confession of 1967 (Sam’s favorite, as some of you know) on its 35th anniversary.

We in Covenant Network are making a particular effort this year to urge people to attend in groups from their churches, so they (or we, in this case) can continue the conversation back home.  There is a special group rate — three registrations for the price of two — which makes it particularly affordable. All our conference hotels can have up to four people in a room, and  we’ve got a special deal on airfares. You can save even more by registering before Sept. 16 and booking your flight  before Sept. 7. Hotel registrations must be made before Oct. 12.

You may also want to stay after the conference concludes at noon on Saturday; Tim and Beth will host a party for Old First friends at their house. If you choose to stay over Saturday night, you’ll have a chance to hear our new Moderator, the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, preach, and enjoy Westminister’s wonderful Sunday worship.

What more can I say?  If you don’t go, you’ll be hear about everything that happened, and you’ll hear about it for quite a while; you’ll have lots of time to regret missing it.  Talk with Susan or me for more information, or just send in your registration.  Hope to see you there!

HOMELESS PROPHETS

by Megan Rohrer

Although I have only recently become a part of the homeless ministry at Old First, I have already learned more than I could ever share with you.  Through the Welcome Ministry I have been blessed by the ability to feed the hearts, minds, Spirit, and stomachs of our homeless friends.  Yet what has been given back to me has increased ten-, twenty-, one hundred-fold.  In the moments when I stop trying to do ministry and I start experiencing ministry, I find that the greatest ministry occurs when I speak less and listen more. 

Some of the lessons I learn from our homeless neighbors are as theologically based as the ones I learn at Seminary.  Sometimes I feel as if I am in fellowship with homeless prophets.  In biblical times, prophets were (wo)men raised up by God in times of declension and apostasy in Israel. They were primarily revivalists and patriots, speaking on behalf of God to the heart and conscience of the nation.  

Today we can still find the words of the prophets flowing from the mouths of our homeless neighbors.  Here two of the lessons I have learned from local homeless prophets:

Duane echoes the words of Jeremiah (17:7-8) when he says: Faith is the ability to love and worship God when you are in a dumpster, covered in garbage, digging for your supper.  If you can still have faith then, you will always have faith.  It's so easy to love God when things are going well and you have lots of stuff.  But I know that when I have nothing else, I still have God. 

Mike echoes the words of Zechariah (13:9) when he states:  I know that when I need something, God will provide.  As bad as things get, I know that if I just trust in God I will have everything I need.  When I get something I share it with the other guys, 'cause there are a lot of other people who are a lot worse off.  And I know that if I share what I have today, God will provide tomorrow.   I'm real blessed like that.

These are only two examples of homeless prophets among our neighbors and friends.  I have had many other experiences at the Welcome Center that confirm that God's call extends past the poverty line, dress code, level of hygiene, and health code into the lives of all human beings.  These insights remind me to speak less and listen more.  I wonder how many lessons I could learn if only I had time to listen to all of God's prophets? 

THE KITCHEN GOD

by Rosemary Bledsoe

Chinese homes have a kitchen god. He keeps an eye on things around the house and regularly reports to his higher authority; the ladder to heaven starts in the kitchen. There's a Catholic kitchen-saint, too, who carries a rolling pin.

There's no official place for a kitchen god in the Faith of our Protestant Fathers, but the mothers of the church know him well. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it's the heart of the church, too, the holy of holies, where the theological rubber meets the daily road, where bread and wine become Christ's body in the world with a minimum of ritual or formality.

It's where bake sales and ice cream socials and spaghetti suppers begin, where there's a pot of soup for the guys who live on the sidewalk and a warmer for baby bottles, where a weary pastor makes a cup of tea.  It's where you find an assortment of aprons donated to the church because of their extreme tackiness, a pile of dishtowels of dubious origin and marginal cleanliness, and a refrigerator filled with half-empty bottles of stale soda and neatly wrapped Unidentifiable Food Objects.

You don't bond with your fellow church members with a quick chat on the steps after worship service or in Sunday School or in committee meetings.  It happens over a meal:  when you cook for each other,  serve each other, exchange recipes, pass the butter, have another cup of coffee:  relax, open up, settle down, make yourself at home.

The strength of your community manifests in the kitchen before the nice meal. It happens when three people need the same oven to be set at three different temperatures at the same time; you work it out. It happens when casseroles burn, dishes break, and frozen foods remain mysteriously frozen after an hour at 450 degrees;  you deal with it, you manage somehow, because there are hungry people waiting to be fed.  You make lame jokes about ordering out for loaves and fishes. You invoke the name of God in a number of ways for a number of reasons. 

The absolute, rock-bottom truth of your community manifests in the kitchen after the nice meal.  That's when you notice how the cartoon taped up over the sink —  Noah yelling at the departing animals that he needs volunteers for clean-up — isn’t quite as amusing as it used to be. That's when and how you really learn to work together, doing whatever is needed with nobody giving orders and everybody pitching in, jackets and ties off, sleeves rolled up, Sunday-best outfits inadequately protected by those unwanted aprons. It shows in how you deal with pots somebody else left unwashed for a week, or the sink stopping up, or the hot water turning cold when you still have hundreds of dirty dishes left.

I love my sisters and brothers in the church, those I've fed and those who've fed me, but the ones I love best  are the ones I've washed dishes with.
 

December 2001, Nov 2001, October 2001,  September 2001, July/August 2001, June 2001,  May 2001,  April 2001, March 2001, 
February 2001, January 2001 

December 2000, November 2000,October 2000, September 2000, July/August 2000, May/June 2000,April 2000, March 2000, February 2000