We are green!

No it isn't St. Patrick's Day, but it is green in Alamosa. We can now drink, cook, clean, and bathe in the water. It is still a little too much chlorine for my liking but at least it is safe levels again. No more salmonella. We have helped one another and listened to each other complain about the problem with the water. We have been here for our neighbors and community to provide water for so many who needed it.

As we sat on couches in our parish hall knitting and being together, at the end of a few of those long days we would get a bottle of wine out and just celebrate together our work and our community that we are building together. I am reminded of the story of Jesus and the wedding at Cana. "Fill the jars with water." We saved the best wine for last instead of serving it first. We got to celebrate with one another, not only our accomplishments but our willingness to work together and to reach out to one another in new and meaningful ways. We had communion together - not in the classical sense of gathering around the altar in the sanctuary, but yes we had communion.

We came together to eat and drink and be joyful together. We were celebrating life together. This communion was at least for me more fulfilling than the communion that we share on Sunday mornings. We were living the moment together and were reminded of whom we belong and why we are here, to love one another.

There is something that I ran across earlier in the week that I have kept and it seems to me says all that I would like to say about this communion.

It doesn't matter your age, your color, or whether your parents loved you or not. (maybe they wanted to, but couldn't). Let that go. It belongs to the past. You belong to the now. It doesn't matter what you have been, the wrong you've done, the mistakes you've made, the people you've hurt.
You are forgiven. You are accepted. You're okay. You are loved in spite of everything. So love yourself, and flourish the seeds within you.

CELEBRATE YOU!

Begin now. Start anew. Give yourself a new birth TODAY!
You are you, and that is all you need to be. You are temporary. Here today and gone tomorrow. But TODAY - today you can be a new beginning, a new thing, a new life. You cannot deserve this new life. It is given freely. That is the miracle called God. So celebrate the miracle, and Celebrate You!

On The Road

We have given out over 3100 gallons of water over a two 1/2 week period. What a blessing this has been not only to the recipients of the water but also to our community of believers. This Sunday is the account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus when they encounter Christ. We know however that their eyes are not opened until they sit down and break bread together. That simple act of sharing bread, of opening ourselves to each other, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to one another is an act of love. We demonstrate this every time we come together at the Lord's table and commune with one another and I believe we do this every time we come together to be in the presence of one another.

How many times a week or even a day do you encounter the living Christ? These past few weeks I can honestly say I have encountered Christ in many faces, hands, voices, and lives of others. We came together as a community to provide water for our neighbors in need. We responded to their plight, but we received far more than we gained by giving out water. We received the light of Christ in every one we met. We were able to get to know people in a vunerable position and talk to them and share in their misery.

I would like us to remember that we are walking, talking and sharing with Christ every single day of our lives. We meet Christ on the road and Christ walks with us even in the darkest places of our lives, Christ is there with us sharing the load. We are the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus - we are the ones that Christ is reaching out to and holding us in the palm of his hand. Even when we can't see or know that Christ is with us, he will never forsake us. Remember I am with you always.

So I am once again reminded that Christ is in our midst of every hour of every day. I am truly blessed and that is what the journey is all about - the joy - the joy of the Risen Christ! Look He is Risen! He is with you and with me.

I would like to publicly thank the many congregations from around the Diocese of Colorado who helped our congregation with providing this gift of living water. Without your support we wouldn't have been able to provide water for so many people. I don't have count of numbers but I do know that we provided for many in need. Many people were mono-lingual, spanish speaking only, but who knew we cared and loved them. Thank you and May God continue to bless you in your ministries.

Welcome, we have water

As I sit and remember the reading from John's Gospel today I am reminded of the commandment to love one another as I have loved you. Even when it's hard we are required to love each other. Christ in me and Christ in you. We have had people come to our doors this past two weeks for water, water to drink, water to bathe with and to cook with. We had someone on a bicycle with a dirty 30 gallon trash can that they were going to have filled at one of the stations and we delivered water to his door and are continuing to do so until this crisis is over. We had a young mother come to us running out of gas and not able to drive every day to get water, so we provided enough water for one week for her and her baby.

We have had the opportunity to love people in new and creative ways. We have seen Christ and have had the opportunity to be Christ to so many people in need. This has truly been a life-changing event in personal lives and the life of the church.

I know the fire of God's love is burning in each and everyone of us. God is re-creating us each and every minute of the day. We are truly blessed to have this connection to the omnipotent One. We have been chosen, so we are called to go and bear fruit - so we are bearing the fruits of the labor of love to a community that longs for a drink of water.

I am grateful for the support of many who have allowed us to distribute the water for so long. Thank you for your prayers, love and support. This has been far more meaningful to our community I think than to those we have touched with the gift of water. We will remember this for awhile.

I know for me I will remember that I survived the great flush of 08! And so did St. Thomas Episcopal Church.