Riding across the plains

Today is Wednesday the 29^th, but I can only tell it’s Wednesday by looking at my watch.  Keeping track of time is a little weird right now.  I am trying to write this as we drive across Oklahoma/Kansas on our way to Wichita.  Yesterday we were in Norman and Tulsa, OK doing some riding (about 30 miles total) and two presentations. 

 

Today will be the same, but in Wichita and Kansas City.

 

I am so very grateful for the time to be able to help out, even for a short while.  Increased reflections of poverty and hunger are ongoing.  I think a great deal about our hunger ministry Circle of Friends, and I wonder how this trip might affect my thoughts about that. 

 

We had some issues with the bike yesterday, but overall it was a good day for riding, although there are some decent hills in the Tulsa area… who knew?

 

Grace and Peace.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian O. Bennett - bbennett@blackngold.net

   Lord, to those who hunger, give bread.
          And to those who have bread,
                 give the hunger for justice.
                       --Latin American Prayer

 

Out of New Orleans... on the Tour deRevs

So I have more stuff to share about New Orleans... that I have to post later, it's late and the day was long. However... an important note... I left New Orleans earlier than planned, because I was needed on the Tour deRevs. I will return home in a week, but won't miss another Sunday, unless something goes wrong with the flight.

We left New Orleans, and are headed to Dallas. You can follow the Tour at the website.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 26-Aug. 2)

Monday 7/27 - LMM (Shoney's) 8:00 AM
Tuesday 7/28 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Friday 7/31 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 8/2 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

Pics from Wednesday

Yesterday we had a chance to check out the city. We ate coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. We took a carriage tour through the French Quarter, hearing some great stories of the city, toured St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Sq. We walked a LOT! And we had our first Mass Gathering at the Superdome... light show, music, and opening speakers, who talked about reconstruction of New Orleans and the program Free the Children. It was an amazing day... and this morning we all rested a little extra since we weren't scheduled for anything right away and Saturday morning we will have to get up really early.

Here are some photo highlights...

Resonances of a Master...

Right before dinner last evening, we were walking along the Mississippi River, and an elderly man came up to the group and started talking to them. I had been behind the group taking a couple of pictures. When I arrived, he was telling the group to pick any one of twelve singers (B.B. King, Otis Redding, Fats Domino to name a few) and he would sing a song of theirs and sound exactly like them. I forget his name, but he called himself the "Human Jukebox." To be honest it was a little awkward, getting a stranger walk up to you and start this kind of conversation with us. Finally though I acquiesced, and picked B.B. King and told him the song was his pick. He sang "The Thrill Is Gone." I am no expert on B.B. King, but I will say that the Human Jukebox was not exactly like plunking in a CD and hearing B.B. play on Lucille. But there were some resonances. He certainly knew the phrasing and the soul of the music. There WAS something of B.B. King about him... it was a joy and a treat to be able to stand there and listen to this man sing.

Our youth even mentioned him when we asked them where they had seen God that day. For many to watch him spontaneously sing and give an offering of something which brought him great joy was a sign of God in this world. Someone placed some money in the box he carried with him, but I was touched by his insistence on sharing his gift and his joy. "Go on," he insisted, "pick one! I'll sing any song you want!" I don't know why I didn't walk away from him with some half-hearted excuse, but I didn't and we were all blessed to see this offering.

I can't help but wonder if when we speak we carry the resonances of our master in our voices, in our hands, and in our very lives. Are we the divine jukeboxes we are called to be? Do we in response to the gift given to us, respond spontaneously and joyfully with others? Can others hear God at work in us?

Arrived in New Orleans... Greeted like kings and queens!

We arrived safe and sound in New Orleans yesterday. It had been a long day of travel, but when we wound our way to the baggage claim we had quite a surprise. A jazz group, whose tuba bore the logo of "Jesus, Justice, Jazz", gave us a performance, serenading us as we waited. I might never have received such an incredible greeting. I shared some reflections with our group that evening.



I searched through the bible (which took only moments with the electronic bible thankfully) for mention of trumpets... and there were many. Trumpets (which really mean the "shofar" or ram's horn, but I think we can extend the meaning in this case) are used for many purposes: consecration, warning, victory through unusual warfare (think Jericho), praise, God's voice, and even the resurrection. And in some ways, they all seem appropriate for our gathering. We are sent, consecrated, to be out in the world. Our group has seen some very worldly things while here in New Orleans, which bring about the warning for us to remember WHO and WHOSE WE ARE. We are here to engage in holy things and to BE holy; therefore not all the things we see, are available to us, and this we know might lead to some intentional conversation. We also carry God's voice in our own. We speak words of comfort, consolation, love, mercy to a place that is still hurting, years after the hurricane moved through. This gathering is the largest group to be here since Katrinal, which means that we are present to bring about a rebirth, a resurrection of sorts... hoping that as we labor here, we might make the love of Jesus known, speaking the gospel so faith might grow. Maybe being greeted like kings and queens, or even royal messengers, GOD'S royal messengers, was appropriate after all.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 19-July 26)

Tuesday thru Sunday - Youth Group Gathering Trip, New Orleans
Wednesday 7/ 22 - Ice Cream Social 7:00 PM
Friday 7/24 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Saturday 7/25 - Circle of Friends
Sunday 7/26 - Communion Service 10:00 AM
Circle of Friends

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 12-July 19)

Today thru Thursday - Vacation Bible School
Tuesday 7/14 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Sunday 7/19 - Communion Service 10:00 AM