New eyes and ears

What a joy it was to accompany nine PSF students to Washington, DC for this year’s spring break mission trip.  After two days of travel, including a night and morning of worship at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, we arrived at the Trinity Lutheran Church Hostel that would be our home for the week in downtown DC.  Throughout the week we served at a variety of non-profits, including Parks & People, Sasha Bruce Youthworks, Capitol Hill Group Ministry, Capital Area Food Bank, and Children of Mine Youth Center.  Each site provided it’s own challenges as well as rewards.  At the beginning and end of our trip, we spent time with Leslie Woods in the PCUSA Office of Public Witness, where we considered how we might be agents of change at various levels of need.  Due to a psych-out snow storm (reminiscent of the way Nashville shuts down for rain on a cold day), we also had a day to explore museums and let some of the work we had already done sink in.

Interestingly enough, the scripture passage for worship this week is one in which Jesus lifts up those who feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned.  While we didn’t do all of that, I do think we encountered some of the “least of these” Jesus describes in Matthew 25:31-46.  Jesus’ words echoed through my mind as we landscaped and/or painted, sorted food for the hungry, and handed out coffee, hot chocolate, snacks, and socks to people experiencing homelessness.  All of us acknowledged that we began to see with different eyes and listen with different ears the more we served and were called to notice people who are often invisible to us.  I think we all returned hoping to be more intentional about how we encounter our fellow human beings.

In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for a new ministry initiative coming out of PSF/UKIRK Nashville.  The plans aren’t fully formed, but the 11 of us who trekked to DC and back are excited.  I am outing us here on this e-mail and on the Rooted blog so you will ask us about it and so we will follow through on promises made while on our journey.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ “Now when the Human One ^f comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.

³⁴ “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. ³⁵ I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’

³⁷ “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

⁴⁴ “ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ ⁴⁶ And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life. ”