Yo howdy All Y’all, it is a beautiful day!
Our Senior Pastor has added new quotations on sign rotations embracing our place of
shared sanctuary – Old and New Testament quotations, poetry and proclamations. Some can be
read driving by!
Our Sanctuary on a hilltop, in the heart of Austin overlooking our State Capitol, where
we demonstrate the Love we seek, offering honor and praise to God as Disciples of Christ.
How does a congregation grow when so many folks we dearly love have become alienated
to even step inside a “Christian” church? (Except for steps on architectural tours, and only
then to marvel at what can also be understood as the hypocrisy of opulence; Christ is unencumbered.)
We welcome folks where they are, outside.
Only a handful of my friends have yet accepted my invitations to join our congregation in worship.
Two Jewish friends did join one Sunday on-line! (They may have been drinking coffee during
communion, I dunno…)
They have also visited our garden, though – a walkabout and several drive-by’s. They
were comforted to hear and witness some of what we do – our Petite Pantry is a good
demonstration. It’s been a lot of fun visiting with friends and family in our church garden place – a
downtown garden is a secret garden to share. (I’ll soon be refreshing the identification tags on the
garden edibles – taste testing and herb harvest encouraged! – and posting on our new web-site
some wildflower info.)
Allow yourself a visit to our gardens during the week, when you find yourselves downtown.
Put something (maybe a water bottle) into the Pantry, invite a dear friend or relative to join
you, maybe share a coffee and pastry across the corner. It is cooler in the mornings, and the
shade from the pecan trees is good for viewing the San Antonio hillside. (and if ya wanna help –
harvesting days are Tuesday and Thursday mornings for delivery to Angel’s House by 10.)
Our eggplant and okra (yum yum), are entering peak production, the kale, chard (yum,
yum), peppers and herbs are still prolific. Too hot now for tomatoes, and I gave up on the
pantry-patron planted beans.
We’re growing a congregation of weeds – drought tolerant natives that will keep flowering
throughout the summer, hopefully with another bursting of blooms in the fall. Gardening with God
begins with “Let it Be” – observe, discern. Then devotion in works of faith.
The plants flowering purple along all four edges of our green pasture is “Ruellia occidentalis” –
Western Wild Petunia. It blooms from March thru September; it was a weed growing for years in
our lawns. Given now some space to bloom and spread, and gradually being transplanted
to become blankets of bloom, popular with butterflies. Bees and birds thrive with our berms
of sunflowers. The native lantana on the hillside has flowered, fed, and spread; it’s been
trimmed and will bloom again this summer. Drought tolerant natives and others have been
introduced, some (like the yellow mullein stalks are now) will bloom their second year – after which
our pasture place will again be enhanced in our demonstration as a Disciples of Christ
congregation growing and building in our community.
“Remember this – whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6
God’s Grace is with us always.
Be well.
Phil