We celebrated Earth Sunday this last week at Forest Hill – what a wonderful time we had!   Instead of worshiping in our sanctuary, we gathered in our fellowship hall and spent most of our time outside, planting, weeding, harvesting, painting, making stepping stones and just generally enjoying the sunshine and God’s Presence in nature – what a wonderful way to worship our God  and remember our charge to be good and faithful stewards of God’s Creation.

Painting Pots for our Gardens at home and at Forest Hill

Lots of new plants were planted on our hillside, thanks to the hard work of people like Shannon and Howard

The Parable of the Seeds comes to mind as Alan and Cynthia gently plant and water seeds that will hopefully sprout and bear fruit – or in this case, veggies. We planted carrot – even rainbow colored ones! – squash, winter and summer, beans and pea seeds. Now we’ll wait patiently for them to sprout before planting them in our raised beds.

Brandon and Keylse planted and harvested  carrots, broccoli and parsley.  And Keylse discovered how good broccoli tastes when it’s just been picked!

Ricardo and Leon planted and weeded

and Barbara and Karen helped them out

but not without the help of one of our Nineties Club members – Mr. Cole.

Have you ever seen such a crazy looking carrot?  Think it stayed in the ground too long?

Here’s an up-close look – rather unique, wouldn’t you say?  No one is brave enough to take a bite; in fact, some suggested we preserve it some how and put it in a museum.  Any ideas?

I shared an anonymous quote that I had read with Brandon the other night:

“Watch your thoughts they become words.

Watch your words they become actions.

Watch you actions they become habits.

Watch your habits they become character

Watch your character it becomes your destiny.”

We talked about the truth and the power of these words. We expressed our bewilderment that bad habits are so easily acquired while good ones, well, we all know how hard it is to create good habits in our lives. The next morning I had a new quote from Brandon, powerful and true, waiting for me in my inbox and he gave me permission to share it with you:

“In a world of misunderstandings and disagreements that escalate into arguments

and arguments that escalate into violence

and where violence escalates into battles, even all-out war,

there is this table with simple, life-sustaining elements upon it.

The One who created this setting, did so facing all the world’s misunderstandings and escalated disagreements

and the violence that was sure to follow his radical ideas

of a world beyond arguments and ever-lasting peace – this world.”

~Brandon Shaw

Before I came to Forest Hill I was never a big fan of “coffee hour” and I would find just about any excuse to avoid it. It always seemed a bit contrived to me, not to mention I’m an introvert who finds schmoozing a most challenging task. That’s pretty much changed now though, and I have to admit I rather delight in what is known in our congregation as Fellowship Time.  Since we’re a small community it’s rather hard to get lost in the crowd and believe me, no one’s left out for long – some of our members are extraordinarily gifted at inviting others into conversation, conversations that sometimes continue over lunch at a favorite restaurant or around our Table of Many Colors.  A typical Sunday has kids running around the courtyard while our youth are shooting baskets in the pre-school’s basketball hoop; a few souls picking produce in our garden – yumm, broccoli and cauliflower and carrots are ready even now; our nineties club sitting and chatting near the sliding glass doors so the rays of sun can keep them warm; Shannon, our student minister, and John Murphy, our resident math wizard, doing math problems at a table; and lively conversation filling the fellowship hall.  Hai stands near the window and watches, listens and smiles.

Hai is rather new to Forest Hill. Not quite sure how he found us, but oh so glad he did. Hai came to this country from Vietnam with his family when he was quite young. His mother is a Buddhist, his father an atheist, and Hai is a follower of Jesus. He brings a quiet wisdom, a knowing smile and a generous heart. He gifted me with a new bag for my laptop and he’s always looking out for our specially abled members or finding something that someone needs on the Internet for our otherwise non-computer savvy folk.  He’s very observant and keeps me in the loop about things I might not otherwise know, like how Joe burst out laughing and nearly fell out of his seat at a silly experience that was shared in Sunday school. Hai is waiting for my husband and I every Sunday when we arrive about 8:30; amazing considering the fact that he walks from his home and it takes him about 2 hours to get to Forest Hill.  He comes every week though, and sometimes he even joins us on Wednesday evenings for dinner and spiritual practice and choir.  Does such faithfulness produce the fruits of patience and generosity and compassion that we experience in him?  I know this, his love of Jesus shines in his life, his smile warms our hearts and his presence blesses us. Yes, I have come to love “coffee hour” and wouldn’t miss it now for the world.  With joy, Susan

We have a lot of “keepers” around Forest Hill – a title that not only celebrates some very special people and their gifts but affirms the priesthood of all believers.  You see, we believe that ministry belongs to each and every one of us.  Part of our privilege of being in community is to help discern and celebrate each others gifts.

John Murphy is our resident “keeper of birthdays” – given his gift of never forgetting them – and our “keeper of the chairs.”  Every potluck Sunday he puts chairs around our tables and on other Sundays makes sure there’s chairs out for our seniors.  He never grumbles that his job is too menial but he’s always ready to welcome others to join in the fun. 

Joe is our “keeper of the light.” He not only turns on the lights in our sanctuary but the light of his smile chases away any darkness in our hearts.  Joe has limited mobility because of cerebral palsy and always wears a bicycle helmet to protect him from falls but that slows him down.  He may be unable to speak words, but Joe speaks volumes – with movement and sound and gesture, with his eyes and especially with the light of  his presence.

Howard has become our “keeper of communion.” He helps me set the Table before worship, carrying the elements oh so carefully, and then praying that our worship will be a gift to God and to our gathered community. I love Howard’s prayers and he loves praying.

Rick is the “keeper of the flame.” Each and every week, even when he can’t stay for worship because he’s going to the ballet, Rick takes the bus to Forest Hill to center himself, to pray and then to light our candles. His commitment is amazing and the candles always have a special glow when Rick lights them.

The faithfulness of our “keepers” is humbling and inspiring. Even though they may be challenged in special ways, they show up, they serve and they touch the lives of our community.  And frankly, they challenge us to grow in faith – to show up, serve, and touch as joyfully and as lovingly as they do.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” ~1 Peter 2:9-10.

Thanks be to God for John and Joe, Howard and Rick; for our keepers who truly teach us what it means to be God’s own people and to proclaim with our lives the Light of Christ.

Blessings, Susan