Following Through... Part Two

Therefore, we resolve to begin exploring 

the possibility of establishing 

a Clothes Closet at Providence Presbyterian Church.

At the very first meeting of A Gathering@The Well, as we began to study Jesus' teachings in the Beatitudes and to write our own confession, we wrote the statement above.

 

Since that time, we've discussed the challenges and the possibilities, and we submitted a ministry proposal.  Here is what we proposed:

 

 

Women Helping Women:
A Semi-Annual Event offering a Clothing Closet, Health Screening, Refreshments,

and the Love of Christ to women in need in our community

     Who?

     A Gathering@The Well, facilitated by Donna Rae Barrow, and the Providence Presbyterian Women will plan and execute this ministry.  We will collect donations of clothing, sort them, make sure all are clean and in good repair, distribute unsuitable items to other organizations, advertise the event, prepare for the event, staff the event, clean up following the event, and distribute remaining items to other organizations. 
 

     How?

     Women Helping Women will be offered as an open house event at Providence.  We will offer gently used clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories to women to encourage them in their time of need and to enhance their appearance for the workplace, for meetings, or even for attending a worship service.  During our time together, we would also like to offer blood pressure checks, information on breast self-exam, refreshments, and warm tours and information about our Providence family.
 

     When?

     The Presbyterian Women would like to present the first Women Helping Women event in late March or early April, working around April 8, Easter Sunday.  We would like to announce this event at our January  Mid-Winter event and collect donated clothing items from February 1 - March 11.  If successful, we would like to offer a similar event in the autumn of 2012. 

 

     Helping?

     To be certain, Women Helping Women will help women in need in our community.  But this ministry will also help the women of Providence as we seek to answer God’s call by serving him and his children, as we learn and grow through his word, and as we reach out with open hands to share with those around us the love and blessings he has given us.  

 

This ministry has received approval and we are moving forward in 2012.  

 

PLEASE pray for this ministry, all who are called to serve, and all who will benefit from it.

 

PLEASE begin gathering very gently used women's clothing and accessories to be donated to this ministry.  More information will be coming out concerning drop off of these items.

 

PLEASE prayerfully consider serving... we need women to collect/sort/prepare clothing donations; we need women to work with community agencies to get the word out to women in need; we need women to set up and clean up on Open House day; we need women to be greeters and helpers during the Open House; we need women to help at the health screening and information tables; and we need women to make and serve refreshments at the Open House. 

 

We are so thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.  Join us, won't you?

 

  

The Advent Beatitude

How are you marking the days of Advent?  Are you using an Advent devotional for your quiet time?  Are you lighting the candles of your Advent wreath?  Are you learning the genealogy and promise of Christ with a Jesse Tree?

For most of us, Advent is a time of joyous anticipation, a time of looking forward with hope to the celebration of the Christ Child's arrival.  It's a special time of warmth and happiness and treasured traditions.

Recently, I came across THIS POST by Lara Blackwood Pickrel on the Thoughtful Christian blog, revealing a new beatitude, one focusing on those for whom the hope of Advent is almost too difficult to grasp.  Here's an excerpt...

"When we strip away the twinkling lights, commercial gloss and catchy songs - when we peel off the layers of spray snow and greeting card gusto, what remains? We are left with a season that belongs to those who can hardly bear to hope.

Are you chronically or terminally ill? - Advent belongs to you.
Are you mourning the death of a loved one or a lost job? - Advent is your season.
Are you struggling with infertility? Grieving a miscarriage? - This is your time.
Have you been pushed aside, held back or stomped down? - There is room for you here.

And what of the rest of us? It’s pretty simple, really: If you are already joyful, keep being joyful. If your life is already filled with hope, trust in that hope. If your soul overflows with praise, raise your hands to the heavens and sing carols to God. But at the same time, make a little room for those who aren’t joyful, hopeful, praiseful. Give them space for their grief without guilt or shame.

This Advent, as we watch and prepare for the arrival of the Christ child, let us consider the addition of a sort of supplemental Beatitude:

Blessed are they who must journey towards hope, 
for this is their season."

Remember these dear ones during this time.  Mark these days of hope and expectation with open hearts.  Extend grace and gentleness. 

Happy are the Meek

I've been thinking on our study of the humbled, the meek.  And I've been following through on our confession, happily honoring small businesses and local producers and artisans in developing countries as I'm choosing gifts for Christmas.  A great discovery was the Friends School Book and Craft Fair this past weekend.  I purchased a beautiful book, a couple of gifts, and a lovely hand-felted blossom to pin on my winter sweaters!  What about you?  Share some of your wonderful discoveries!

Below is an excerpt of a sermon I saw online recently that makes clear this whole idea of 'meekness'.  It was titled, "Blessed Is As Blessed Does" and was presented at Hodges Presbyterian Church on November 6 by Rev. Joel L. Kelly.  Read and enjoy!

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” In our culture today, we are taught “You have to stand up for yourself. Don‟t let anyone push you around. You have rights; demand them.” The meek are the people who renounce their own rights for the sake of Jesus Christ. They leave all justice to God.

Meekness is synonymous in Greek with gentleness. It doesn‟t mean someone who is a doormat, being walked all over by everyone who comes along. It goes hand in hand with humility. Humility seems to have a negative reputation today, but I believe it is commonly misunderstood. Biblical humility means an understanding of just where we personally fit in God‟s kingdom. The truly humble person neither advances himself beyond the place God has called him to be nor shrinks from the task that God has assigned. The truly humble person is where God wants him to be. When we are firmly in the center of God‟s will, and when we realize that God wants the absolute best for us, then we will discover that we have truly inherited the earth. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Blessed are the humbled...

"Blessed are the meek, 

for they will inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5 

In "Confessing the Beatitudes", Lesson Three, we explored the humbled, or meek, and Jesus' renewal of God's promise to those whom society humbles, a promise that they shall inherit the earth.

So what about these two words, "humbled" and "meek"?  What do you think of when you hear these words... one unable to stand up for herself?... a mousy, shy individual?... someone beaten down by the world's harshness?  Let's review what we learned about these words in the Greek.

"meek" = "praeis" in the Greek

this word may also be translated "humbled";

like the Greek word for "mourners" in Lesson Two,

this word is quite unusual in the Bible

To further explore the meaning of these words, our lesson points out that the Bible describes three different kinds of people with this unusual word:

1.  those who are oppressed or downtrodden, targets of injustice

2.  those who are the opposite of proud or mighty; those living justly

3.  those who are guided by God and seek refuge in God; 

the status of these humbled in society is less important than their dependence on God

Not all of us fully agreed with the author's interpretation of the humbled, and we talked about the humbled or meek that we see today.  As we talked, we thought of super retailers (affluent, powerful, oppressive) vs. small business owners (humble, meek) in our day.  We were moved, especially at this time of the year, to write the following confession:

The humbled are to be greatly honored.

God uses anybody and everybody... even us...

to give to the world.

God values the quiet, hidden service

as highly as the spectacular.

God will keep His promise of reward to the meek.

Therefore, we resolve to honor with our patronage

small, local, or fair trade businesses and artisans,

such as SERRV, Heifer International, Ten Thousand Villages,

or the local shops in our neighborhoods

during the coming holiday season 

and throughout the coming year.

We will change our purchasing decisions

to reflect our respect for our local merchants.

As you begin your Christmas gift shopping, think about that small tea shop around the corner, or that knitting store down the street, or the special holiday shopping days at local farmers markets, or the SERRV shop inside the Presbytery office in Portsmouth.  Try giving gifts that are truly unique and support a small business or an artisan struggling to make a fair wage.  Your gift will delight both the recipient AND humble merchants.

And remember... above all else during this hectic season... 

Jesus, God's greatest gift, given just for you.

 

 

Upcoming Lesson...

Next Tuesday night, November 22, is our gathering and we'll be continuing our journey through Jesus' teachings.  One of the things our study guide offers as a resource to prepare is the following song, "I Love The Lord," performed by Whitney Houston in "The Preacher's Wife".  Listen...

Before we meet, take some time to reflect on the verses for Lesson Three, "Greatly Honored Are the Humbled!"

First, the Matthew passage, in three different translations.  Read each one, take it in, and reflect on your response to each of the versions:

Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

"Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5 (NLT)

"God blesses those who are humble,
  for they will inherit the whole earth."

Matthew 5:5 (The Message)

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. 

That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." 

And now Psalm 37, this time in just the New Living Translation.  Reflect on the psalm:

Psalm 37 (NIV)

 ¹ Don’t worry about the wicked
      or envy those who do wrong.
 ² For like grass, they soon fade away.
      Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

 ³ Trust in the Lord and do good.
      Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
 ⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
      and he will give you your heart’s desires.

 ⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord.
      Trust him, and he will help you.
 ⁶ He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
      and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

 ⁷ Be still in the presence of the Lord,
      and wait patiently for him to act.
   Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
      or fret about their wicked schemes.

 ⁸ Stop being angry!
      Turn from your rage!
   Do not lose your temper—
      it only leads to harm.
 ⁹ For the wicked will be destroyed,
      but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

 ¹⁰ Soon the wicked will disappear.
      Though you look for them, they will be gone.
 ¹¹ The lowly will possess the land
      and will live in peace and prosperity.

 ¹² The wicked plot against the godly;
      they snarl at them in defiance.
 ¹³ But the Lord just laughs,
      for he sees their day of judgment coming.

 ¹⁴ The wicked draw their swords
      and string their bows
   to kill the poor and the oppressed,
      to slaughter those who do right.
 ¹⁵ But their swords will stab their own hearts,
      and their bows will be broken.

 ¹⁶ It is better to be godly and have little
      than to be evil and rich.
 ¹⁷ For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
      but the Lord takes care of the godly.

 ¹⁸ Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
      and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
 ¹⁹ They will not be disgraced in hard times;
      even in famine they will have more than enough.

 ²⁰ But the wicked will die.
      The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
      they will disappear like smoke.

 ²¹ The wicked borrow and never repay,
      but the godly are generous givers.
 ²² Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
      but those he curses will die.

 ²³ The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
      He delights in every detail of their lives.
 ²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
      for the Lord holds them by the hand.

 ²⁵ Once I was young, and now I am old.
      Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
      or their children begging for bread.
 ²⁶ The godly always give generous loans to others,
      and their children are a blessing.

 ²⁷ Turn from evil and do good,
      and you will live in the land forever.
 ²⁸ For the Lord loves justice,
      and he will never abandon the godly.

   He will keep them safe forever,
      but the children of the wicked will die.
 ²⁹ The godly will possess the land
      and will live there forever.

 ³⁰ The godly offer good counsel;
      they teach right from wrong.
 ³¹ They have made God’s law their own,
      so they will never slip from his path.

 ³² The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
      looking for an excuse to kill them.
 ³³ But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
      or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

 ³⁴ Put your hope in the Lord.
      Travel steadily along his path.
   He will honor you by giving you the land.
      You will see the wicked destroyed.

 ³⁵ I have seen wicked and ruthless people
      flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
 ³⁶ But when I looked again, they were gone!
      Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

 ³⁷ Look at those who are honest and good,
      for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
 ³⁸ But the rebellious will be destroyed;
      they have no future.

 ³⁹ The Lord rescues the godly;
      he is their fortress in times of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ The Lord helps them,
      rescuing them from the wicked.
   He saves them,
      and they find shelter in him.

Humble.  Meek.  Receiving a promise from God.

Join us next week, won't you?

Mourning, Veterans, and Seeking God

In October, we studied Jesus' words telling us to greatly honor those who mourn, those who weep.

Now in November, we come upon Veterans Day, a day to remember the service and sacrifice, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, of our veterans and their loved ones.

We mourn what we have lost.  Here is an excerpt from the Faith Deployed website, a posting from the faithful wife of a servicemember returning with PTSD.  Her post is titled, "Lessons Learned: From the wife of a combat veteran"...

"There were– and are– seasons where there is no “Easy” button. There are times when you feel as if your heart is being dragged across broken glass. I have known that kind of pain, and intimately. You have a choice. You can attempt to shoulder the pain and carry the burden alone, or you can invite the only One who loves you perfectly to be a part of your process. You can hold him at arm’s length, and stumble on alone, or you can let Him in, and ask Him to heal you. I encourage you to pray, asking God to direct your steps. He is the only one who knows you completely- better than you know yourself, in fact. He is the only One who can bring lasting healing- to your heart, to your husband, and to your marriage.

My husband and I have grown closer than I ever thought we could, after the mess he was after Iraq. There are challenges, but every marriage faces some sort of struggle. I believe that we have the choice to grow from our struggles or to hide from them. To seek healing in the Comforter’s hand, or to remain in the place of original brokenness. I reached out to Him from a place of utter anguish, and He drew near. All you have to do is invite Him to guide you and move you forward in the healing process. It takes time, and it does take willingness on your part. But isn’t moving towards greater wholeness is worth the risk?

Matthew 5: 13 says,
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

It is my prayer that you will find both strength to go on and healing in Him- and Him alone. His love for you is complete. He longs to bring you to a place of greater wholeness. Will you let Him? I found that He is worth the risk.
In His Hands,
Rebekah"

Let's greatly honor those wives, husbands, families, and veterans mourning what was lost this weekend.  Spend a few moments quietly among the Field of Flags outside Providence Presbyterian Church.  Seek God and His comfort.  

Greatly honored are the mourners.

A Follow Up on Georgia Saunders, "the homeless scribe"

In Tuesday's post, part of our confession was to support Georgia Saunders, "the homeless scribe" and author of "Home Street Home: The Virginia Beach Chronicles".

This evening I received the following message from Ginny Sorrell at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, sharing new ways we can all support Georgia in her efforts to become a writer and regain independence and financial security:

"Hi,
   Georgia called last nite and asked if we(her fans) would go on Facebook to the Home Street Home page and click on the 2 interviews she gave to DON’T THROW THIS LETTER AWAY and GENRE BUDS.  Publishers need to see that she has people who like her work and are following the reviews.  You can click on like, comment, or share on your own FB page.
       Don’t you think she needs to add a study guide for book groups or one-time book discussions?
       Wouldn’t it be wonderful if her writing takes her off the streets permanently??
                        Hugs to all!
                            G
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And, Carol Lake sent me the contact link for the Oprah Book Club.  We can simply send them a message suggesting they offer, take a look at Georgia’s HSH!  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they gave her a call to find out more??!!!

FYI-Here's the weekly newsletter, with the "contact us" link.
--
Carol <clake@COX.NET>
> Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2011 10:36:00 -0500 (CDT)
> From: "Oprah.com Book Club Newsletter" <OprahNewsletter@oprah.com>
> Subject: Break Through Writer's Block, Plus Send Us Your Six-Word Memoirs"

Let's share our support and love with Georgia!  Click HERE to go to her Facebook page for the "Home Street Home" books. 

Blessed are the mourners...

"Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh...

Woe to you who are laughing now, 

for you will mourn and weep."

Luke 6: 21b, 25b

In Lesson Two of our study, "Confessing the Beatitudes," we discovered that Jesus calls His disciples to  honor the mourners, and He calls into account those who live a life of laughter unaffected by their neighbors' tears.

We talked about the Greek word for "mourners" used in Matthew 5: 4, and the Greek word for "weepers" used in the Luke passage, as well as the word used for "laughers".

"mourners" = "penthountes"* in the Greek

a rare Greek word in the New Testament;

it seems to refer to those involved in 

ritualized public mourning or 

a raising of the voice in protest

"weepers" = "klaiontes"* in the Greek

this is a more general reference to those actively crying,

those weeping individually

or in a less formal group

*these two words occur together often

in the Bible as synonyms

"laughers" = "ge ontes" in the Greek

this word refers to those who laugh at,

scorn, or make fun of the mourners;

those blissfully happy in their own good fortune

and ignorant of the mourners around them;

those living in unconcerned joy

As we studied together, we came to some conclusions about God, the mourners, the laughers, and ourselves.  Two of the women gathering with us had just heard a presentation by Georgia Saunders, known as the homeless scribe.  Georgia is a woman just like you or me, a woman that suddenly spiraled into homelessness, a woman that found herself mourning her former life.  Here is our confession as a result of this lesson and our shared experience:

The mourners are to be greatly honored.

God, the source of our joy and comfort,
calls us as His instruments
to share His strength and love
with those we see mourning and weeping.


We need to step out of our own comfort zones,
stopping to pray, bending to bless, taking the time to touch
those mourning around us.
We need to be conscious, 
not living in self-satisfaction or unconcerned bliss
while others weep.


Therefore, we resolve to honor local author, 
Georgia Saunders, "the homeless scribe,"
currently mourning the loss of her former life of comfort
and now working toward independence
and financial security.
We will "Like" the Facebook fan page for her books 
and visit her website, 
"Home Street Home: The Virginia Beach Chronicles,"
and her blog, "Steeped in Books" often
to show our support for her.
We further commit to read
Georgia's "Home Street Home" books
and to share her story with many others.

Following Through...

Therefore, we resolve to begin exploring 

the possibility of establishing 

a Clothes Closet at Providence Presbyterian Church.

 

In beginning to write our confession together at our first meeting, we wrote the above.  Let's begin to think in earnest on this big dream for ministry to the poor.  Let's follow through.

 

Here are some things we need to consider and discuss at our meeting next Tuesday at 7pm at Providence Presbyterian Church.  Please prayerfully consider these questions:

• Do we want this to be a Presbyterian Women ministry?  Or will we propose this as an idea for our church's Mission Outreach Evangelism committee?
• How will the ministry be run?  When will the clothes closet be open?  What are the rules for use of the clothes closet?  Where would we like to house the clothes closet?
• Staffing is necessary for intake and sorting of donations, operating the closet, and getting the word out.  How will we recruit for these positions?
• Is there a budget need for this new ministry? 

Here are a few links to clothes closet ministries already in existence.  Click on each link and take a look... what do you like about each and what might we do differently?

• Village Presbyterian Church Food Pantry and Clothes Closet 
• Calvary Memorial Church Emergency Clothes Closet 
• Our Savior's Lutheran Church Women's Clothes Closet
• Crossroads Christian Church Clothes Closet 

What amazing women of faith you are!  Praising God for each of you today!

PS - Don't forget to spend time in Lesson Two of our study book, "Greatly Honored Are the Mourners!" before next Tuesday night!

 

Pay Attention to the Ones Whom You Honor

Margaret Aymer, author of our Horizons Bible study, "Confessing the Beatitudes," offers some advice in this video:  Pay attention to the ones whom you honor;  be aware.  Are you honoring a certain celebrity?  Are you honoring those of high rank or status?  Are you honoring the well-dressed, the well-heeled, the well-fed?

Or do you believe, confess, that we are to greatly honor those totally dependent on others for provision?  Do you believe, confess, that we are to honor those poor in spirit, those whose inner resources have been depleted? 


Pay attention.  Be aware.  Who is important to God's heart, and how does that change how you act in the world?

Blessed are the poor...

Last week we came together for our first Gathering@The Well.  It was a special time away from the noise of the everyday... a time to begin our nine-lesson journey into the Beatitudes. 

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 

Luke 6:20, 24

Rev. Martha Goodman presented our first lesson, bringing to life the words of the verse.

"blessed" = "makarios" in the Greek

can mean, "honorable" or "greatly honored"

it's not about God honoring the poor,

but more about the poor 

being thought of as greatly honored by the community;

it's about how we treat one another

"poor" = "ptochoi" in the Greek

meaning the truly destitute, not the working poor

those unable to pull themselves out of debt or poverty

those, at the time Jesus spoke the Beatitudes, taxed beyond their ability to earn

 "rich" = "plousioi" in the Greek

meaning the affluent,

those so rich they do not have to work

Because of what we experienced in our study, Martha helped us formulate the beginning of our group confession, our shared truth, our inspiration for action:

The destitute are to be greatly honored.

We believe that we need to do more 

because poverty is real in Virginia Beach.  

God blesses us so that we can bless others.  

The purpose of having anything is to share it.  

The destitute need our help.  

Through no fault of their own, they are unable to help themselves.  

We believe there are myths and misunderstandings 

which work against the poor, 

perpetuate the divide between rich and poor, 

and keep us blind.  

Therefore, we resolve to begin exploring 

the possibility of establishing 

a Clothes Closet at Providence Presbyterian Church.

Think about our time together and our shared confession above.  How will this confession change your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ?  How can we begin to make the possibility of a Clothes Closet a reality?

Peace to you, friend, and welcome...

So glad you've discovered A Gathering@The Well!

A Gathering At The Well is a new opportunity for all women, meeting together every fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 in the evening at Providence Presbyterian Church.  We gather to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible study. In 2011-2012, we will journey through the 9-lesson study, Confessing the Beatitudes by Margaret Aymer.  We gather to support the mission of God's church, learning together about ones crying out for provision, peace, and justice, and we'll explore ways to help.  We gather to build an inclusive, caring community of women.  We break bread and share lives and seek the face of God.

This blog will be the continuation of our monthly meeting time... a place for weekly insights and conversations... a place to become truth-tellers and confess our faith... a place to gather, to find refreshment, to see the holy in the ordinary.

Confessing the Beatitudes... 

"and he began to teach them."  

Matthew 5:2