Goodness Weekly 4.18.22
“…once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”
—The Velveteen Rabbit
What’s Good:
Yesterday we celebrated the risen Christ at our Outdoor Easter Worship. As we gathered together, love and praise poured out from all of you to the wonderful neighborhood around us. We loved meeting new friends and sharing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a beautiful Easter Sunday. Following worship, our little humans enjoyed the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. We hope you all felt the goodness this week as much as we did!
Message from Jess
At Easter lunch this week, our grandma gave our family a book—The Velveteen Rabbit. I read through this beloved story again and was reminded of the journey of the rabbit who so deeply longed to become Real.
His trusted friend, the Skin Horse, helps him to understand this transformation. He said, “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
I’ve heard it said, “I don’t have a conversion story, I’ve grown up in the church.” But like the Velveteen Rabbit and the disciple from our story, we are becoming. It takes a long time. And our transformation is continuing as God continues to open our hearts and our hands. Often, this happens through suffering, but as we are reminded this day after Easter Sunday, we love a God who entered right into the suffering with us, too.
This week I invite you to consider your spiritual journey and set aside some time to reflect on the ways that God has worked and is working to transform you.
Charis Park & Missional Hub Project Updates:
Last week we got to visit the office for our landscape architects, Coral Studio, in Southtown. They presented their preliminary bubble diagram for the park that is inspired by input from our Charis Park Team and neighbors. Next they will begin working on a schematic design that includes more details such as hardscape materials, plants, and lighting. We are on track to begin construction by late summer!
We are currently in the information gathering phase for the renovation of the main building to create the missional hub and co-working spaces. We have preliminary bids from commercial contractors and will soon enter the schematic design phase with our building architects. We’ve also engaged some incredible professional fundraisers to help us begin to plan for a capital campaign to raise funds for both the building renovation and the park.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, April 24th, 4:30pm Chapel Worship & Liturgy
Saturday, April 30th, 10:00am - 2:00pm Mother’s Day Market
Sunday, May 1st
3:15pm Workshop Rescheduled TBA
4:30pm Supper Church
Morning:
My heart overflows with gratitude for you God
and for the unique faces of you
I get to see in every person I meet.
Help me to be open
to what you would have me see and learn this week.
Help me to remember
that I am on a journey of transformation
and so are the people around me.
May I have the grace of Christ
for each of them and for myself.
Amen.
Evening:
Help me to reflect tonight
on all of the beautiful faces that showed me
a little more of who you are.
Your goodness surrounds me
and sometimes I miss it
because I am so worried
about my own plans and my own control.
Open my heart and my eyes Lord
to you, to your love, to your people.
Amen.
