July 29, 2009

We have been busy getting to know the residents in the houses where we work and in the programs in those houses. Sandy is a quick study in names but I have always had trouble and use every connection to get to know people. We work together at the drop in center on Monday and Wednesday. Sandy knows most of the people who are guests there. I have been doing intake forms on the new guests. We have had more people learning of the services of showers, laundry and breakfast. We also have a job list that is published weekly by the Cecil County Community College that we pass around the breakfast table. Everyone is looking for work. Some people come for drinking water.

We have been worshiping at the Farm on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 PM. The service is very laid back with folk songs and gospel songs. We do a Bible study after everyone introduces themselves and tells something good that has happened to them this week. The Bible study seeks to get us to look into the scriptures for what God is saying to us through the word. We end by holding hands and affirming that we are a people of faith and love and sing Shalom. It is a time when people from the Farm, Volunteers in Mission Groups, and staff can get to know one another and begin the practice of community. Then we go to eat with one another at the tables of Meeting Ground. This last Sunday we looked at the simple life of the party at the table of the Kingdom of God in Luke's gospel. Everyone is welcome except those who turned down the invitation to come and dine.

The last 2 Sundays we have worshiped at Jacob's Well UMC at 10 AM which meets at a local high school auditorium. We were looking for a church that had a contemporary service. As we left Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre area on July 1, we were listening to a Christian rock radio station and I said, "I want to go to a church that has a good rock band and sounds like that!" The United Methodist Charge that is 6 miles south of Elkton is the Chesapeake City Charge of 2 churches worshiping in 3 places. The preacher has 3 services every Sunday morning. The worship is informal, lay lead, and personal. Communion is served every Sunday. During communion there is a prayer station and other stations that people can go to for deeper service in the community.
We have been warmly welcomed. The charge has been praying for us as we came to be the first United Methodist long term Individual Volunteers in Mission to serve at Meeting Ground. Many United Methodist churches are very active in caring for homeless, poor and under employed people through Meeting Ground.

This week two more United Methodists , Ellen and Buzz Ditto, arrived to work at the Farm. The Buzz will work with the maintenance man who cares for all of the buildings that house the mission and Ellen will work at the Farm helping the director. We met them at our training in Cleveland. They are lay people with a deep sense of God's call in their lives to serve all God's people. The Dittos will be here for 2 months service. They served last winter in hurricane recovery in Slidedell, Louisiana last winter. Add them to your prayer life.

Sandy is working a late shift at the women's shelter tonight. She's a fill in. I've been invited to preach at a Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE on Aug. 9. Visited a resident who is in the hospital this evening. I'm still a pastor doing pastor work.

Yours in Christ's Service,
Ken and Sandy