Live on Location
Hello everyone out there! For the first time I am blogging on location at LIFEhouse West. Many thanks to my man Jeff for getting the wireless internet up and running. Construction on the building is proceeding at planned.
There are continuing to be changes to the building. Last week we "re engineered" the pews that we could not give away. After some personal time with a sledge hammer and a chain saw they have been taken care of and have been offered up to the Lord as a burnt offering...... The family room is nearly ready for painting, it is being primered so that and carpeting will begin soon. Finally we have some of the heat registers back up so we can warm the place up a little. I will have pictures soon.
In a way this week is kind of bittersweet. As many know I am heading up Bethel Assembly's (our mother church) week of volunteering at the local cold weather shelter here in Hagerstown. This is my last official project with them in what was my role as "Community Connections" pastor. As I am writing we are mid way through the week. I have considered this week kind of like a wake of sorts. It is a long funeral for my old role and the responsibilities that went with it.
So far this week there have not been many incidents among the folks that stay at the shelter. What I have noticed is this. The great people who have been willing to come and serve the homeless confirm one of the bedrock ideal that I hold as lead pastor here at LHW.
That is service. Not services, they come later. What I am talking about is the willingness to go and give a little bit of the Kingdom of God away to someone else who needs it. As the coordinator at the shelter for the week I get to walk around, supervise, and tell people what to do. While that is fun, I also get to watch......
I have watched people who are outside their comfort zone by just being in the shelter moved by compassion. Seeing them sitting with residents and talking with them. Laughing, joking, enjoying the Cowboys big win over the Colts on Sunday! I ahve not seen one time any type of class separation, just people relating to other people. There is something powerful in that. something God inspired. It is so simple, yet the idea of relating to others and serving them escapes us so easily. We get consumed with so many other things that keep us from connecting with the world that God wants us to reach.
So in short, for all the folks who are on this journey with me, we will be serving others. It is at the core of who we are and we want to model servanthood at every opportunity. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
PJ
There are continuing to be changes to the building. Last week we "re engineered" the pews that we could not give away. After some personal time with a sledge hammer and a chain saw they have been taken care of and have been offered up to the Lord as a burnt offering...... The family room is nearly ready for painting, it is being primered so that and carpeting will begin soon. Finally we have some of the heat registers back up so we can warm the place up a little. I will have pictures soon.
In a way this week is kind of bittersweet. As many know I am heading up Bethel Assembly's (our mother church) week of volunteering at the local cold weather shelter here in Hagerstown. This is my last official project with them in what was my role as "Community Connections" pastor. As I am writing we are mid way through the week. I have considered this week kind of like a wake of sorts. It is a long funeral for my old role and the responsibilities that went with it.
So far this week there have not been many incidents among the folks that stay at the shelter. What I have noticed is this. The great people who have been willing to come and serve the homeless confirm one of the bedrock ideal that I hold as lead pastor here at LHW.
That is service. Not services, they come later. What I am talking about is the willingness to go and give a little bit of the Kingdom of God away to someone else who needs it. As the coordinator at the shelter for the week I get to walk around, supervise, and tell people what to do. While that is fun, I also get to watch......
I have watched people who are outside their comfort zone by just being in the shelter moved by compassion. Seeing them sitting with residents and talking with them. Laughing, joking, enjoying the Cowboys big win over the Colts on Sunday! I ahve not seen one time any type of class separation, just people relating to other people. There is something powerful in that. something God inspired. It is so simple, yet the idea of relating to others and serving them escapes us so easily. We get consumed with so many other things that keep us from connecting with the world that God wants us to reach.
So in short, for all the folks who are on this journey with me, we will be serving others. It is at the core of who we are and we want to model servanthood at every opportunity. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
PJ
posted by PJ | 6:45 AM
3 Comments:
I agree with our fearless leader about this mission of service. I find it amazing how doing such a small amount of service goes such a long distance in anothers life. This thing called love is a funny and perplexing thing if you let it be, But if you wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to meeting others needs the spirit of giving takes over and allows us to be the servants we are meant to be. Remember "To become great one must become a servant" -Mark
Lets just be the ball people. -Jeff
I agree with our fearless leader about this mission of service. I find it amazing how doing such a small amount of service goes such a long distance in anothers life. This thing called love is a funny and perplexing thing if you let it be, But if you wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to meeting others needs the spirit of giving takes over and allows us to be the servants we are meant to be. Remember "To become great one must become a servant" -Mark
Lets just be the ball people. -Jeff
It was a honor and joy to serve with the folks at the Reach shelter. I was also humbled to see the high sprits of the users of the shelter as well as the director's and administrator's that run that program. Please keep in mind that that Christmas is around the corner and there a numerous needy folks who can use our help with many aspects of there lives. Please continue to pray for our LHW and all the folks who are in the process of giving there time and thoughts to us. May God bless us all as we give to him we will then be blessed. Thanks to all for the help with the shelter and LHW.
Rick
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