[Magdalen] whose theology is this?

[Jo Craddock]

It has been my experience that, in our downtown parish, we have a large 
number of parishioners who will give *generously* to world wide appeals, 
but who are the same parishioners that must be fought tooth-and-nail to 
keep our lunch bag ministry going, as it brings "those people" too near 
"their" church.

As your church moves into its proposed downtown home, some may be 
tempted to worry about damage to the church, or scary people, or keeping 
the cushions clean on your new chairs, rather than *do* ministry where 
you are. (As Jim Guthrie often reminds us about the cost of church 
buildings, real and otherwise.) It is so much cleaner and neater to 
write a check to the area homeless shelter or half-way house.

A poorly delivered message, surely, but one that may need to be put in 
the parish collective memory to prevent temptations to only naval gaze 
about the political arena, or to "just write a check."

Peace,
Jo



On 03/01/2015 4:26 PM, Eleanor Braun wrote:
> I do not understand the notion of only helping the neighbor we can see or
> who lives near us.