Mari and Fran and Chocolate

Tonight was the delayed and second annual "Mari, Fran and Chocolate" event at Broadway. It was delayed due to snow on February 13th. But it is now 70 degrees and March 13th (not to mention the early time zone shift). So tonight we gathered. Mari Evans and Fran Quinn read their own poetry and Fran read the poetry of a few others -- what a night. Carol and Dave both mentioned to me how good the last two weeks have been with the reggae concert less than two weeks ago and then this evening today. And it has been a full, full, full day for me. It started early in the morning with me still flying high off of the experience with Richard Florida yesterday. I still can't believe it really. After telling a few people around Broadway about it this morning I headed off to visit Mari (it is Tuesday morning after all). We talked about my visit to Washington, DC and her reflections on race around the city and in the country. Always interesting...Then back to the church and a quick lunch with Kathy and then off to meet with lay leader Scott at his work place - where we talk about the glory and grace of the people of Broadway. We talked about the joy and energy and spirit of Broadway. We talked about the places and people who need prayer around there. Scott, as always, gave me wise advice. Then I began walking back to the church, Scott Semester picked me up and we headed up to the district office to meet with the district superintendent, Ned. It's always a struggle for me to head into the district offices. You are stopped by the armed guard at the door. You sign in and then are given a badge which you used in the elevator to flash in front of a laser light which allows the elevator to take you to the floor. It is at the United Way building just north of 38th Street on Meridian Street. What strikes me is that the United Way building with its stated mission of serving the poor and needy of the community and the United Methodist Church which shares a small part of the building -- both are so scared of the people of the city that they surround themselves with all this protection (practicing "safe religion" and "safe community service" one supposes). I'll return to this theme of fear in a few moments. Scott and I met with Ned to get his approval for a letter that would come from him to support the ministry of Broadway. He agreed. Then back to the church to meet with Ann Reynolds, the community ministry staff person, from Tabernacle Presbyterian in our neighborhood. Ann is delightful. She saw my book by Richard Florida and told me she had heard him speak awhile back. She asked me if I had ever heard him speak. "As a matter of fact...," I began - and then told her of Troy and my trip the day before. We went on to talk about some of the ideas we have been kicking around Broadway about building on our ministry in our parish in the summer. This year, perhaps, instead of having a program in the building for children and youth in the neighborhood, we could hire 10-20 youth and adults to be "Animators of the Spirit" who could have as their job descriptions "find the talents and gifts of your neighbors, or people who share the same interests as you and find a way to invest in them for mutual delight and the strengthening of our common life." For example, as my friend Chad pointed out, you could have a "Roving Barber" who went and talked with people doing hair in the community -- in home and salon -- and in the listening found a way to invest in what people care about. Perhaps some of the people doing hair would want to have a community festival where hair gets cut and "judged." Perhaps some of the hair folks would want to start a small business that could potentially grow into a career. Who knows. We could have Roving Artists, who would find other artists, maybe invest in the public art (sculpture, murals) that some might want to do -- others might want to teach classes -- in their homes, in churches or around the barber shop! We could have Roving Scientists, Roving Naturalists, Roving Gardeners, Roving Entrepreneurs, etc... These "Animators" or "Rovers" would gather a couple of times a week and share their stories. Ann and I talked about the Animators meeting in different churches or other public spaces and telling their stories while others listened in. It was fun to talk with her. It was fun to dream with her. Heck, dreaming with folks is what it's all about isn't it? Then off to meet with Scott who stopped by for a few moments. And then De'Amon and Marc and I met with Ray Newbill from South Bend who had an inspiring story about his rise from a violent and crime filled past -- and now he is an emblem of responsibility, and nonviolence, and community action. The frustrating part is that he wants to solve this by doing mentoring programs, etc... Things that I believe have been proven ineffective (as programs). What I would love to do is to hire people like Ray - with inspiring stories - to cook their barbecue (as Ray loves to do) and hang out and encourage and bless others around him with his story -- without it being part of a program. We could call it "The Men and Women of Scars!" I didn't have much time so I had to move him quickly through things -- so I just was direct and say, "I don't want to do programs....but let's keep the conversation going." I left him with De'Amon and Marc and I went for a walk. And we talked about joy and happiness and struggle. Along the way we ran into Jim Fore who walked with us. What a joy just to be walking with these two good men. Then back into the building with Marc, to sit and share some more about life and joy and genuine hope. Then off to the Finance Meeting -- what a great turn out and discussion. Very impressive. Roger Sell is doing an awesome job (with things at church it can be an awful lot like herding cats). Then off to Mari and Fran and Chocolate...back where we started from.

I love the language and the clarity with which Mari speaks. And Fran -- my God he sees connections and depth in things that I am always missing. He talked for a few minutes about gargoyles. He talked about how the people who made gargoyles made them to try and reflect their fears. Then they put them up so that they could see that their fears where held captive in stone and wood and not roaming the earth. And - when your enemies came to face you -- they could see that you had already faced your own fears and they had better turn back if they couldn't bring anything more fierce than what they were facing. What a gift. What a gospel gift.

It was an important reminder to me to not let myself be held back by fear -- but to take it out and face it. To "sin boldly" as Martin Luther urged. As we face the future my role as the pastor is to find a way to encourage the good gifts of God that are in the good people of our parish...many of them in the room tonight. People like Jan Hirschman, and Pat Pearson and De'Amon Harges, and Tom Williams, and Seana Murphy, and Jim Hartsock, and I could go on and on. What a gift, what a gift, what a gift.

Well I'm off to make my gargoyles and head to sleep!