Yesterday and today

Yesterday, July 24, 2009, we went out to Joe Brown Park in east New Orleans to clear our the area around the lagoon and to pull invasive plant species. It was hard, hot work – but very satisfying. The local residents fish from this lagoon to help supplement there food sources and by us cleaning it out, we help them get fresh fish as well as have a safe and healthy park.
The ELCA’s Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson was also out there with us. He and Jennifer were pulling old logs out of the lagoon together. Jennifer did not even realize that it was Bishop Hanson, she just knew that she and Mark were working together.
Later in day, after we had finished, New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin came out to thank us for the work we were doing. He started by thanking us and then said, “God is Good,” and all of us responded with “All the time.” See the news release at http://www.wfn.org/2009/07/msg00163.html
The city council woman,Cynthia Willard-Lewis, who represents that part of New Orleans also thank us. And she could really preach it. She told us that while most churches “evangelize within their own walls, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America was showing the world what it means to be loving Christians.” What she had to say was so inspiring that Bishop Hanson commented that he would willingly give up his pulpit on Sunday to her. Bishop Hanson also gave both of them the backpacks we received with a copy of the new Lutheran Study Bible in it.
Today, July 25, 2009, we spent the day in the Learning Center. We began by attending a workshop together learning about Gender Issues. Kyle got up to help act out a scene that was so funny, that you had to be there because it would not translate to mere writing.
We then went off to different workshops. Some of us talked about the images of Jesus, the story of the Samaritan Woman, and exploring what it means to be a leader in the Church. Some of us also wrote letters of hope to the people of New Orleans, letters to ourselves that we be delivered to us in a year to remind us of promises we made to ourselves.
Today we saw more about what it means to be God’s Hands in the world.