World and Church

I've been reading about love and God. I'm drawn to what Mother Theresa teaches when she said, "do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary... Do not pursue spectacular deeds...In the work we have to do it does not matter how small and humble it may be, make it Christ's love in action." This seems like a great message for Ordinary Time when we celebrate God with us, God for us and God through us. Within this I am grateful for a God who insists on both incorporating us into a nourishing, worshiping community and mobilizing us as his compassionate, transforming presence in the world.

prom ready

So what is your world? My world this week consists of a daughter who has just completed her junior year in high school. She spent a very festive night dining and dancing at prom and then having a group of friends to our home for the rest of the evening. Through subtle acts (such as providing their favorite pop tarts for breakfast!) I pray that these young people experienced our home to be a place where they were all welcomed. That the small, humble acts of hospitality were a demonstration of Christian hospitality.

with one of my nieces

Secondly, I'm preparing to be out of the studio for a week with my extended family.  We live throughout the United States and almost half are "carrot tops". We aren't all typically together but for once a year for 24-48 hours. So this week together will certainly be a time to loving each other as neighbors and functioning as a compassionate, family community.

Lastly, we're planning our next mission trips to Haiti possibly in November but definitely in February. We participate in the mission of God. We all are capable of this on a daily basis but are also at times called to leave our neighborhood to do the work. This might be the neighborhood next to ours or it could be half way around the world. In Haiti we've been able to evangelize, serve the poor, educate, and worship in community alongside the Haitians. We are also able be the salt and light to each other--as brothers and sisters in Christ. This shouldn't surprise me but I still am greatly moved by the memory of a Haitian friend telling me on my second trip that he had been praying for me since our first encounter six months prior. Awww yay....Christ's love in action.

Our current collection of stoles created using silk hand dyed in Haiti can be seen here.