Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes shelter in Him–
Psalm 34:8
Yesterday our Deacon from St. Luke’s and I had the privilege of worshiping after worship. We took part in a weekly service on Worcester Common with a special congregation. We were guests, for a second time, of the people at Worcester Fellowship.
The Fellowship is part of a loose network of street ministries that seeks to attend to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of both the homeless populations of cities and those who don’t otherwise have a faith community.
For me, the experience both times I’ve attended has been a humbling one and one that gives me a glimpse of just what Jesus seems to be about, especially in Mark’s Gospel. There’s a real cross-section of folks who come for very different reasons.
There’s an aging retired RC religious who knows at her core that this is where she belongs. There are any number of folks who are struggling on the road to recovery. There are faces and voices from ‘all sorts and conditions’ as the 1928 Book of Common Prayer put it so aptly.
Ghanaians, Guatamalens, Albanians, Americans, and others I can’t identify gather on the Worcester Common to share their lives and struggles and partake in the common life of Jesus in different ways. They gather in rings around a table set up with juice and bread, participating as they are comfortable, but all expecting to be fed one way or another.
Harmonica, violin and the voices of the hungry and faithful are raised in praise. The desires of hearts, spoken and unspoken, are lifted to God. Prayers of despair and hope are shared and the words of Hope from the Gospel are offered. And God shows up!
We shared the cup and the loaf and then bologna and cheese, clean socks, open ears and open hearts before we gathered up and went about our day.
It was on the Common to be sure, but there was nothing ordinary about what we did!
Come with us some first Sunday and Taste and See for yourself!!!!
Very cool Warren!