Yo Howdy All Y’all!
We’re growing – wildflowers and tomatoes, herbs, plants of nourishment and beauty. Gifts to the street, for our
congregation, our neighbors, guests and passersby; inviting pause, prayer, grateful harvest and space to
breathe in Spirit. “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as the garden causes what is sown in it to spring
up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”. Isaiah 61:11
Our garden, as Pastor Layne and the Disciples ministry encourage, “softens the edge” of “religion” (as Disciples
we do practice liberty of opinion), and our garden provides evident welcome to join with us in worship by reflecting the Love of God for All through our united faith in Christ. Our church, Central Christian Church Austin, Disciples of Christ, has long been a flowering and feeding church. Just after we had planted some cherry tomatoes for our Petite Pantry last Autumn, our Interim Minister Janet Maykus learned from a visiting former member who had moved away that our church had before grown tomatoes along our alleyway.
The pecan trees alongside our buildings have been giving pecans to our community for generations. This year, we have been
able to supplement our years of service and support for Austin Baptist Chapel’s Angel House soup kitchen by
sharing – weekly – several pounds(!) of our garden harvest – tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra, peppers, kale
and chard, a variety of beans and a wide variety of fresh herbs. The fresh herbs are especially welcomed.
So please, when comfortable and able, come visit again, anytime, we’re open again on Sunday mornings! Invite
your friends and loved ones. Nibble in our garden, find comfort in the house of our Lord, pause, pray; ring the
bell and begin to better know our new Senior Pastor, Reverend Doctor Layne Beamer. Layne. We are blessed
that our Search and Call team and Layne with his family were Shepherded to come together as Pastor and Congregation.
This week we have experienced the blessings of a whole passel of youth from Arlington Heights United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. I am thankful for their vibrant reflections of Christ’s love in service to our church, and our sister church Bethany Christian. These young folks, with the help of their adult leaders and working with Brad, Heidi and Layne, did many things including removal of freeze-damaged trees and shrubs – preparing this brush and organic debris for later use as erosion control on our San Antonio Street hillside. Watch that space! It will take us a couple weeks to work thru the brush piles (thank you in advance for your patience) as we begin to restore that soil. Brad reminded me, and others may remember, that hillside being covered each Spring with bluebonnets.
Together, let’s all keep growing wildflowers and a spirit of grace and welcome.
Be well.
Phil
Administrative Council Chair