[Magdalen] whose theology is this?

[Ginga Wilder]

Thanks, Jo.  We are anticipating our move and are in process of forming a
'downtown lay ministry committee'.  We know we will have many new
opportunities.  A young man, Daniel, new to the streets did come to church
on Ash Wednesday.  We took him to a friend who gave him a place to stay.
Frankly, I am excited about the possibilities.

There will be other possibilities, too.  Like Taize service on a regular
basis.  Bible Studies, prayer groups, book studies...we won't have a
kitchen but we will have a microwave and a coffee pot.

Perhaps our first study will be on who is our neighbor?

Ginga

On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 6:59 PM, Jo Craddock <jocraddock at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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.
>>
>
>