‘This is what Christ had in mind … a church without walls’They just showed up. On foot. From all directions. As if risen right out of the same downtown streets that many of them live on.
About a dozen homeless men and women, joined by volunteers and other churchgoers, sat shoulder to shoulder in the cold last Sunday in front of the fountain at the north end of Woodruff Park. They wore hats and gloves and heavy coats. They toted backpacks and black plastic garbage bags. One guy chewed on a cheese sandwich.
They were ready for church.
“I appreciate all you huddled people,” began Carole Maddux, the Episcopal deacon leading the service. “Let us take a moment to be silent and claim this place. And call on God … to make his presence known.”
A MARTA bus rumbled by, drowning out her last few words. A car horn bleated. Dry leaves skittered past Maddux’s sneaker-clad feet.
Surrounded by downtown skyscrapers, she stood in front of a folding table topped with a silver cross, a chalice, a plastic bottle of grape juice to be served with communion —- “Some of our people don’t need to drink wine,” Maddux said.
The Church of the Common Ground was in session.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/12/20/homelesschurch.html
You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.
No comments:
Post a Comment