The Summer of 2010...WOW what a journey! Philly, Yucatan, 4th of July, Montreat, Montreat Middle, Seminary Acceptance, Bahamas Cruise, and relaxing days at the beach! WOW! A summer of beautiful chaos! As I traveled by bus, air, golf cart, car, boat, and foot the past two months I have witness COMMUNITY in many forms. At Broadstreet Ministry God revealed Godself through an inner city mission to share God's love and grace to all in the city of Brotherly Love. Through urban gardening, manna food bank, and various other outreach ministries, God is alive and moving through the streets of Philly! I saw community when people from all walks of life, those dealing with homelessness, young and old, those of power, servants and those needing to be served worshipped together with our youth from Covenant Presbyterian! Community. God revealed a similar community in Piste, Yucatan. Our Mexican brothers and sisters extended radical hospitality to our Covenant youth through smiles, song, food, and the opportunity to work together to build the foundation of their church. The children of Piste elegantly shined the love of God through their curiosity and youthfulness. Community.
Like every July 4th, the family gathered for another year to celebrate our country. We had matching shirts and smiles as we decorated the golf cart for the fourth of July parade! During this time I was touched by the intimate community of family. Community. After a week of playing and laughing with the fam, I packed up and journeyed to Montreat! Talk about community..I felt it as soon as I enter the Montreat gate! Old and New friends worshipping together, God truly reveals Godself throughout the Montreat experience. The community I felt this July with the group from Covenant inMontreat is the same community I was able to experience as a young person going to Montreat for the first time. It was such a gift to share that with such precious young people. Community. After a week, I still hadn't had enough of Montreat...next stop Presbyterian College for Montreat Middle School Conference! You would think by now I would be homesick but in fact I was home! Montreat + PC+ a community of many years...it was amazing! Watching 600 middle school youth worship, dance, engage in conversation around scriptures, and so much more gave me a glimpse of what the kingdom of God looks like here on earth. I strive to see God's kingdom each and every day in new ways, to be touched, challenged, and responsive to God's blessings. Therefore, it is no surprise I applied to seminary this summer. I will be attending seminary starting in September for a Masters of Divinity! Talk about challenge, I am scared out of my mind! Yet... I am looking forward to the community I will be able to experience with other people desiring to know God more, to know who God is calling us to be, and to go out and share that with the world, with our communities! I will still work full time at Covenant and on Saturday I will hit the classroom! A little anxious about being a student again.
So this summer I have had the privilege of living in community in various places full of God's sweet sweet grace! I have learned that community is about relationships, fellowship, servitude, openness, forgiveness, accountability, love, and sharing in each others stories through this so called journey of life!
Thanks be to God for all the communities that taught me so much about living the life of Jesus today!
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