Goodness Weekly 3.27.23

“There is a light that shines in the darkness, which is only visible there.”
― Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

What’s Good:

One Another Coffee

We are so excited to announce the grand opening of our new coffee trailer, One Another Coffee on Saturday, April 1st from 8am-1pm!

This project aligns with several of our community values—to create a space for community connection, to create job opportunities and support local entrepreneurs, and to be good stewards of our environment.

We will offer locally roasted coffee, handmade organic syrups, locally sourced pastries and tacos, sustainably produced single-use products, and a discount for those who bring their own reusable tumblers and mugs.

All profits of One Another Coffee will go towards supporting the creation and maintenance of Charis Park at Sunset Ridge, a neighborhood gathering space that will open in 2023.

We can’t wait to see you around the trailer soon. One Another Coffee will be open weekdays 7am-1pm and weekends 8am-1pm, and will be closed Thursdays.

Charis Park

We are beyond thrilled to announce that we have our construction permit for Charis Park at Sunset Ridge! After months and months of waiting it’s finally here. Our construction partners Agave Designs are ready to get to work and you can expect to see some big changes at the parking lot site beginning very soon. We will host a groundbreaking ceremony in May to celebrate this momentous occasion and can’t wait to spend time with you there!

Upcoming…

Starting this Sunday our Stations of the Cross is back for all to experience. We will install four wooden crosses that hold eight illustrated images of the Stations of the Cross out on the front lawn along Brees Blvd. There will be an interactive video to guide you through the stations or you can walk through them at your own pace. We hope this time and space is one of peace, reflection, and closeness to Jesus. The Stations will remain up all week through Easter Sunday. We invite you to gather with us Sunday, April 9th for our outdoor Easter service followed by an egg hunt for our little humans!

All are welcome.

Message from Jess:

My youngest child, Shiloh, came down with a fever last week and I noticed an unexpected anxiety that rose up in me. When one of my children is sick I find myself with an irrational fear that something terrible will happen to them. Loss changes you that way. After experiencing multiple pregnancy losses and the death of my first born daughter, I experience the world differently. What was once in the category of impossibility can change in the blink of an eye to reality.

It makes me wonder how many of our days we spend just blindly wandering around half asleep. We move automatically, like when we’re driving a familiar route and are lost in thought, only to be suddenly home without real recollection of getting there.

Move. Just keep moving. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going.

But what happens when the unthinkable arises?

We have built a terrible habit of constant motion. Expecting that a family can have a new child and be back to normal work duties within six weeks. Expecting that a person can bury a loved one and be ready to reenter the great big world in only a couple of days.

Life moves at such a fast pace that we are conditioned not to stop in these extraordinary moments. When someone’s heart is broken, when someone loses a loved one, when the joy of new life arrives in the world, or when a teen crosses the threshold into adulthood—these are extraordinary moments deserving of extraordinary presence.

I recently read that Christians are often quick to proclaim resurrection and hope, which the author writes, is very good. But what we are not so good at is creating space to grieve and lament. This week in our Chapel service we created a safe space for exactly that. This small step can soften our desire to flee from reality through our many available distractions and instead allow us to acknowledge the truth of what is happening in our bodies and minds.

Only three years ago at this exact time our whole world stood still. The unthinkable had arrived in the form of a global pandemic and daily life as we knew it came to a halt. Even in the midst of turmoil and devastation, we read stories of the ways that humanity was caring for one another and saw images of creation coming out of hiding. We proved that in the midst of the unthinkable we are somehow capable of putting our never ending task list on hold, capable of putting the needs of others before ourselves, and capable of resting in a way that also allows God’s incredible creation to thrive.

I wonder what it might look like for you this week if you took some time to stop and feel—whatever that is in you that needs to be acknowledged.

You’re welcome to see some of the ways we practiced lament in our service and use these however you’d like. Or find your own way to pause this week. Our garden, courtyard, and giant oak tree are always available if you are looking for a peaceful place to be.

May you find comfort in the quiet this week.

Love, Jess

Lament Prayer Station