On Sunday, along with other volunteers from the Missio Dei Community, I visited the Edible Peace Patch (EPP). Joe Esposito and I are the co-pastors of this new community of faith that supports the work of the EPP. Joe serves on the EPP board. My spouse, Robin Gipson, is also the volunteer coordinator at the garden.
A few weeks ago, the leaders of the Missio Dei Community learned that the Studio@620--where we meet every Sunday morning--would not be available on Sunday, December 2nd. We decided to take the opportunity to worship outdoors by visiting the EPP garden and volunteering our labor. We were asked to move a giant pile of mulch and another pile of soil. We also did some weeding in the garden. We worked for almost two hours, weeding and moving soil and mulch. We, then, had a short time of reflecting on our service and a time of singing and prayer.
In our Christian tradition, Sunday began the season of Advent, a season of preparing for the true celebration of Christmas. One of the lessons of Advent is a call to be awake! We need to be alert to what is going on in the world. It is a time to become fully alive as human beings. In our reflections at the EPP this Sunday, we talked about being alert to the way we spoil the earth through consumerism and waste. We talked about waking up to the reality of the environmental crisis. We reflected on becoming fully alive by being more mindful of our connection to all of creation especially the ground below our feet.
Whenever people gather at the EPP garden, we are reminded of those things that are most important to us: children, neighbors, food, community, peace, happiness, joy and the beauty of the earth.
Doug McMahon
Co-Pastor
Missio Dei Community
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