Captured In The Heart

What do you see through your rose-colored glasses?

Strawberries with a Smile!

There were many great images from the Strawberry Festival Sunday two weeks ago.  John Roman broke out the rose-colored glasses to inspire our imaginative thinking.  Strawberries, ice cream and chocolate sauce were served up with a smile.  And, of course, there was that marvelous spread that always transpires when Rock Springers are invited to bring a dish to share.  This time it was supplemented by lots of good stuff coming off the grill from YoRS.

Much of this was captured on camera, but I think my favorite image of the day was not.  It was an image that was captured in my heart.  The image I am referring to happened not in Carpenter Hall at the Strawberry Festival, but in worship earlier in the morning. 

The Spread

Communion was served by intinction that Sunday (meaning we invite everyone forward to receive).   One young child, after receiving communion with her family, returned to her seat and stood between her parents, on her pew.  I watched as she stood on tip toe, leaning forward, straining to see all of the other people in the congregation come forward to receive the gift she had just taken.  Watching this young girl, her face lit up with expectancy and joy, helped me enter the experience more fully.

Occasionally, I will hear adults suggest that a child is too young to understand communion.  Often, I think it is adults who have the most difficulty because we try to use our head too much and overload ritual with doctrine.  Clearly, this young child experienced, "take, eat, this is for you" as an act of love, generosity, and abundance.  It is a mental image I will cherish in my heart.

Problem Solving

I have known since Day One At Rock Spring that  “affordable housing” was a great community concern for the members of Rock Spring; it has taken me eight months to begin to discover what that really means.

Since my arrival, I have been keeping my eyes and ears open for information about this issue.   From individuals pointing out new developments to me to learning about the wide range of organizations in Arlington that are focused on this issue, it quickly became clear that that there is much focus on this issue.  Yet it wasn’t until the first week of May that I began to realize what a challenging issue this is. 

Bill Bozman, president of AHS

That first week of May I attended “The State of Affordable Housing in Arlington” sponsored by the Alliance for Housing Solutions.   I had known that Bill and Ellen Bozman had long been very involved with the community, but I had not realized until I got there that evening that Bill not only helped found AHS, he has been and continues to chair the AHS board for the past twenty years.

At that meeting, we heard reports from several different developers about projects that have been done and projects that are in the works.   All sorts of development is in the works!  There are efforts to “lock in” housing rates over a number of years which is also good.   I heard Nina Janapaul from APAH talk about how they are working to lock in 6000 units around Columbia Pike so that the rental value will not go over 80% market index for something like 60 years.   Sounds good.

As I drove home, I thought a little more about those numbers.  The median income in Arlington is $104,000.  Eighty percent of that about $80,000!   Could that be right? 

The next day I sat around the table with some VOICE leaders and suddenly it was like a light bulb went off and I started asking questions.  How do we define “affordable?”  Most of the developers define affordable as 60% of the medium income, $104,000.  The starting salary for a teacher in Arlington County is $43,000.  There is a five-year wait list for section 8 housing.  I now understand that housing grants are available in Arlington but only if you have secured a lease and you make less than $30, 183 year.

Perhaps it has taken me so long to get my head around this issue because every time I have been hearing the term, “affordable housing” I thought about what affordable housing is in Columbus, Ohio (from where I have recently moved).  Affordable housing in Columbus, Ohio provides an apartment for an 82 year old man with a monthly SSI check of $851.  Affordable housing provides for those who really can’t provide for themselves.  There is a whole other spectrum of housing available for teachers and firefighters, clerks and administrative assistants! 

I think I have finally discovered why “affordable housing” was the number one issue Rock Springers indicated in the Search profile was a major community concern.  My question now is: what are we going to do about it?  Gathering together around the table for problem-solving is one step in the right direction.

Note:  I talked about this issue in more depth during my May 8, 2011 sermon.  

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Shabbat Shalom!

Eager to experience different forms of vital worship, I was glad to hear from Hank that there was a lot of good stuff happening at the Synagogue at Sixth & I.  I headed there tonight for their "Sixth in the City Shabbat" designed for those in their 20s and 30s.  (You don't need to remind me that I am no longer in this target group.)  The evening began at 6:30 p.m. with socializing, drinks, and appetizers.  The Shabbat service began at 7:15 p.m. and was followed with dinner at 8:15 p.m.  As we entered, everyone who greeted us with, "Shabbat Shalom!"

The service was led by Rabbi Shira Stutman and musician Sheldon Low.  Sheldon is a wonderful musician who played the guitar and led the congregation in song, mostly in Hebrew.  Rabbi Stutman is a vibrant person who quickly drew me in with her warm smile, easy manner, and obvious delight in being with the group who had gathered tonight.  I loved how she talked about the value of Shabbat and taking time apart from the typical rhythm of our days. The service drew heavily from the prayer book and included a teaching moment, some words about infusing the mundane tasks of life with the holy, prayers of healing, as well as the ritual of breaking bread at the end of the service.  Rabbi Stutman called forward a couple who had recently been married to hold the bread for the blessing; tonight she added honey rather than salt to the challah as a blessing of sweetness for their first year of marriage  After a prayer, she passed the bread throughout the congregation.   The loaves were passed through the several hundred people who were gathered there tonight quickly - some pieces were even tossed to the back!  I loved the eagerness I saw!  Everyone can understand, "take, eat, this is for you" as an act of love. 

After breaking bread in the sanctuary we went downstairs for dinner - chicken, roasted potatoes, green beans, ratatouille, brownies and cookies.  All of the tables with seats were taken so we stood at a bistro table with Andrea and Evan, new friends who talked with us about their faith and lives, as we broke bread together.


Breaking bread, authenticity, vibrancy in sharing, music that stirs my soul, a sense of community (even amongst people I do not know) - these are some of the things that make worship meaningful for me.  What makes worship meaningful for you?


"Shabbat Shalom!" A peaceful Sabbath.  


 

Breaking Bread

I like Tuesday mornings.

They begin with my spending a couple of hours reading and studying the scripture that will be used in worship on the following Sunday.  Typically, I become so absorbed in what I am doing that I find myself jumping in the shower at 9:45 a.m. or so and (literally) running over to the church (some times with a few hairs still a little wet) to the Tuesday morning Bible Study that begins each week at 10 a.m.

As predictable as this pattern of mine is becoming, so are a few others.  I will walk into the Saegmuller Room and the coffee will be brewing, the Bibles will be placed out on the table, people will casually be gathering as they share what has been going on in their lives.  And Dick will be carefully cutting a loaf of zucchini bread for us to share from Pastries by Randolph. 

Soon we will begin reading out loud the texts I have been engaged with all morning.  We will talk about them, ask questions, and talk some more.  We will share some zucchini bread.  Often, in the midst of all of that I will have an "ah-ha" moment.   I find that more often than not my "ah-ha" moments happen not when I am in holed up with my books by myself, but when I am in conversation with others.  Might that have been what the disciples meant they said Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread? (Luke 24:35) Maybe it was zucchini bread.

Sacramental Earth

Earth Sunday altar

Last Sunday, May 1, we celebrated Earth Day at Rock Spring.  Pictured here is the altar the Eco-Justice Committee had created for our outdoor worship space.  At the left is a bowl and water for baptism, to the right are the communion elements, below is an arrangement of native Virginia flowers, and in the center (along with the cross and candles) is a mound of earth. 

Unfortunately, the rain began at 10:50 a.m. and by 11:02 a.m. we made the call to bring everything inside.  In typical Rock Spring fashion, everyone picked up something and we were quickly in the sanctuary singing, "Inch by Inch." 

Initially, we had been concerned about having communion AND baptism AND the celebration of Earth Day all in one service.  Yes the service was full, but I loved that water, wine, bread, and earth were vitally important important aspects of our worship experience.  I loved it that we could taste, see and feel the stuff with which we came to worship together. 

We talk about sacraments about being "outward signs of invisible grace." In other words, putting in plain sight something that we know simply is.  I am grateful to the people of Rock Spring for helping me look at earth as sacramental. 

When Two or Three Are Gathered

What is your favorite story about Jesus and why?
What is our understanding of who Jesus was/is and why is he important?

These are a couple of the questions that we wrestled with on Sunday evening at the New Christianity class.  I am enjoying our lively conversations and have been thinking since Sunday how appropriate it was that of all the topics we are exploring in this class, Jesus was the focus as we began Holy Week.

However, not one of us mentioned the crucifixion or resurrection as his or her "favorite" story.  For some Christians, the events that we remember during Holy Week comprise the only story of Jesus that is important.  I am so glad that I am a part of a community that sees the events of Holy Week as a part of a larger narrative that continually challenges us to to live fully, love generously, and boldly strive to bring heaven to earth.

Someone in the class shared that their favorite story was the Feeding of the 5000 so I shared a close runner up for me: Jesus meeting the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).  Every time two or more are gathered together, God is with us.  I am certainly experiencing that on Sunday evenings as we break bread and talk with one another.

Telling Stories

I always think it is a good problem when we have to add tables and chairs, which was what we did last night as more than 70 people arrived for the Seder meal at Rock Spring.  Although "meal" doesn't quite capture it.  This was a feast!  Here was the menu:

Mazto Ball Soup
Leg of Lamb
Beef Brisket
Roast Chicken
Noodle Kugel
Tsimis
Green Salad
Brownies with Banana Ice Cream
Pareve Lemon Bars
Pound Cake

Mouths were watering as each dish arrived and was set on the table.  The anticipation set in as we began to experience the Seder, a Jewish ritual that typically takes place in homes.   We each received a copy of the Haggadah, which contains the Seder service and involves (in part) children asking questions of their elders about the history from slavery to freedom.  The evening is marked with many fun traditions, climaxing with the great hunt for the hidden matzah!

The stories we tell, and the rituals that become important to us, say much about who we are and who we strive to become.  What are the great stories you want to bring to life for your family and the people you love? 

As I left last night I thought about all of the effort that went into these wonderful dishes and the care that must take place in every step of the Seder to capture our imagination with these wonderful rituals.  Yet, it is just this care and effort and creativity that helps children (and adults) remember stories well and yearn to retell them.

Many thanks to Hank, Christian Ed and YoRS for setting a wonderful table for us last night.

Welcome Interruptions

I just returned from spending a lovely day with the women of Rock Spring at Shepherds Spring in Sharpsburg, Maryland where our annual Women's Retreat is still in process.  The table to the left provided a wonderful focal point for us and was set by our  able facilitator for the day, Marjory Zoet-Bankson.

The day starting with what Marjory called "moving pairs."  She would give us a question and we would spend just a couple of minutes sharing our responses with one other person in the group.  We did this several times; each time we met with a different person and each time the questions got a little bit deeper.  I valued this opportunity to get to know some women a little bit better.  I wish there had been time to do it with everyone there.

One question that is sticking with me, "Has there been an interruption in your life that has opened up new dimensions?"  What a great question!  On my drive home I kept thinking about it.  So often we think of interruptions as a distraction and something that gets us off track.  As I look back on my life, I know that I have greeted most of the major interruptions that have come my way with dread.  Yet as I look back on them,  I wouldn't trade where they have led me for anything. 

My prayer for tonight is that I might be more open to interruptions and receptive to the opportunities they might hold. 

Setting the Table

When I first met my husband I told him casually, "I love setting tables." He will tell you he didn't really know what I meant by that, or what that meant in relationship to being married to me! It's true; I love to set tables and I gather people around them as often as I can. I enjoy cooking and I love different foods, but even more, I love what happens when people come together at the table.

Conversation. Relationships. Community. Ah-ha moments. Plans, big and small.

I look forward to using this blog to reflect on many of the beautiful things I experience happening around the tables I am able to gather around, especially at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ.

Do you have a favorite table story to share?