The church staff enjoyed a day of service today, including the pastors, music, program, facilities and support staff. We went together on a bus this morning to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Philadelphia to do some sorting of furniture, organizing and painting.
Then BMPC’s former Lily Resident, the Reverend Adan Mairena, hosted us at West Kensington Ministry for a variety of tasks around the place, connected some of our program staff with those in comparable positions there to work together, and provided lunch from a local Dominican restaurant.
This was the Rev. Dr. Nicole Duran’s wonderful idea for a new kind of team building among the staff as well as to demonstrate the church’s commitment to living the gospel in word and deed by reaching out in the community in service. (See photos here.)
This Sunday the scripture reading from Matthew 17:1-9 leads us into a new chapter of the Christian year with the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The voice of God declares Jesus the Son of God, and then he, Peter, James and John descend the mountain and get back to work healing the sick and showing forth God’s love and compassion. Then on Ash Wednesday next week we will begin the season of Lent with the invitation to observe “a holy Lent, by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, by reading and meditating on the Word of God.
I am grateful for this day of service with my good colleagues, which helped us get a jump start on observing a holy Lent as together the whole church journeys forward in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
