Last fall, during our Stewardship Focus, we talked about how as stewards, entrusted with good things from God, it is our job to keep things flowing. This idea was articulated by Rev. Eric Law in his book, Holy Currencies where he says, “Perhaps we should think of the currency of money or any other currency as being like water - it should move and flow…when water does not flow, it creates opportunities for destructive things to grow…the same thing goes for money and resources: when they are not flowing, or when we hold on to them, they turn rotten and become breeding pools for trouble and unsustainability.”
As we turn towards summer together, I’d like to share with you some of the ways that things are flowing around here because from where I sit, very little is stagnant.
Under the leadership of property chair, Scott Walls who is building upon the groundwork laid by Fletcher Miller and with the hospitality of Betty Wells and the administration of Janine Morrow, this place is a veritable revolving door of activity. Old rusted gutters came down and new, terrific gutters went up; a new dishwasher was installed, some preschool Dads installed turf in the play yard, and the parking lots are resurfaced!
A group of realtors needed a meeting place for a few weeks while their usual space was occupied so they met in our hall. Neighborhood Watch is planning to host another Ice Cream Social in August in our parking lot for the neighborhood. Warren Walker School is leasing space from us to park their buses in our basketball lot. This past month after Hand and Foot, our folks saw our basketball court being used by upwards of 20 athletes. While walking through the parking lot, I recently ran into an unsheltered friend who offered to paint a peeling board on the back of our church. This place is undergoing a steady flow of use and of necessary upgrades.
It has been a goal of our leadership these past few years to tend to the flow of our community relationships; specifically, with Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry and Interfaith Shelter Network. In recent months, Liz Medina has joined the board at Loaves and Fishes, solidifying that relationship and to date, we have raised over half of our annual commitment of $5,000 for the work of Loaves and Fishes. In April, a group of us attended “Celestial Nights Gala” to support Interfaith Shelter Network, Darlene Morrow-Truver hosted the “Beaches Community Wrap Up Meeting” for those churches who participated in the rotational shelter last year and we are gearing up to host Interfaith Shelter for at least 3 weeks in 2025. We’re also joining forces with the neighborhood again this year to host the Sunset Cliffs Auto Show in September. This past month, I worked with Father Douglas at All Souls’ Episcopal Church, to gather up all the Point Loma Faith Leaders for a first meeting to begin collaborating for the sake of the wider community. EMBRACE (our partnership with All Souls’ Episcopal and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran) has been approached to help resettle an Afghan family that is fleeing violence in Pakistan, who has family here in San Diego.
Since April, the finance committee has been looking at monies set aside in our trust funds to make sure they are being adequately spent and replenished when necessary.
In June, we’re hosting a “Young-ish Adult Group” (see more in this issue.) In April we baptized a 17-year-old who came looking to claim her faith. The week before her baptism a 14-year-old came to talk to me because he also wants to be baptized.
There is so much flowing through this place - gifts, resources, expertise, generosity, money, time and energy, the sweet exchanges of hearts coming to know one another as relationships form, and most importantly, the mighty rushing Breath of the Spirit of God moving hearts and hands to faith.
May we continue to live in the Spirit’s wake.
Joyfully,
Pastor Bekki