Happy Birthday, Saint John's!
September 10, 2024
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
~ Lamentations 3:22-23
New Every Morning
by Rev. Hilary Marchbanks
In July, I went on sabbatical to learn from Christian faith leaders through the organizations Rooted Good and Goodmakers Society in London. Our host (originally from Hunt, Texas – fun fact!) introduced us to pastors engaging their neighborhoods through social enterprise, societal research, and pioneering endeavors. Our God is making all things new, and these folks are listening to the Spirit’s leading toward new ventures. They showed us how they surveyed what the community around them needed and how they were then serving the community in beautiful ways. Elaine Graham writes, "To speak of God—to act with God—is to identify with that which is encountered in the mending of brokenness, in intimacy and in the doing of justice, a God who is love in action."
In our meetings, there was energy around these new projects of love in action, and yet also an undercurrent of melancholy regarding the vast decline in church participation in England and Europe. Much of their innovation, they said, had come from necessity. Declining participation and large historical buildings led several churches to partner with non-profits. These partnerships were good for the community and, frankly, were a revenue stream that helped the churches keep their doors open. There was both desperation and hope, both brokenness and newness in each of these stories.
Sometimes discernment and connection are clearest when we are in a difficult season of our lives. Sunday, we broke bread at the communion table and remembered how Jesus meets us in our own broken places.
On our final day in London, our cohort broke bread together for lunch with Meg Fry at Home Community Café at St. Andrew’s in Earlsfield. Founded by Fry on the principles of radical welcome and providing safe space available to all, Home Community Café is a traditional lunch spot, selling delicious chef-prepared food each weekday (except Thursdays when they operate as a food pantry). Throughout the week, different community groups use the café as a place to meet and connect.
As the café got started, the host, St. Andrew’s, had to learn to be flexible. The café completely took over their narthex, installing tables, chairs, an office, and a commercial kitchen. This vast change in the space was hard on the church membership. A specific church family gave Meg a very hard time over the course of their planning – they were relentless in their questioning, critique, and challenge.
The patriarch of that family passed away shortly after the café was up and running. In the days following his death, his wife asked Fry if Home Community Café would cater his funeral reception.
By allowing Home Community Café to serve this previously resistant family, Meg found reassurance and forgiveness in the act of service. While the family was initially opposed to the church’s change, they were able to see the beautiful ministry of the café in their midst as they walked through a difficult season.
In that recognition of the validity of her ministry, Meg was able to reconcile their conflict. Brokenness and newness were found. Actually, brokenness and newness are paired together in more stories than we think. They are found in each story of forgiveness. God’s love is new every morning, and is found in each story of reconciliation. Thanks be to God.
Grateful,
Rev. Hilary Marchbanks
Senior Pastor
Churchwide Picnic at Northwest Park
Sunday, September 15, 12:15 p.m.
To celebrate Saint John's birthday and as part of our Cultivating Community worship series, ALL are invited to an after-church picnic at Northwest Park in Allandale (7000 Ardath Street). Bring your own blanket and lunch. The Saint John's Hospitality Team will provide drinks, and a dessert truck will be there to hand out complimentary ice cream. Join us for this all-ages community event!
