I go to a coffee shop most mornings when I can. I go there to get my heart and mind sorted out, to make some attempt at reading scripture and prayer.

 

On my way out today, the barista hands me a wad of cash. 

 

“I heard you talk to people no one wants to talk to. Please consider this a donation to that.” 

 

I had not gotten the impression that she was a Christian. I still don’t know if she is. She’d just heard that’s what I’m out there doing. Talking to the people no one wants to talk to. 

 

I was touched by her donation, but mostly touched by what she said the ministry is: going out there to talk to the people no one wants to talk to. 

 

I can think of worse summaries of what I’m doing out there. 

 

I’ve thought of my own way of saying it more than a few times: the Beaver Falls Street Pastor belongs to an order of Evangelists in an organization called  Church Army who’ve been called to administer the sacrament of presence to the most vulnerable, turning our face to those the world has turned its face from.  We administer the sacrament of presence by giving regard, coming alongside, and making sanctuary spaces for the outcast, unnoticed and despised. 

 

We understand giving regard, coming alongside, and making sanctuary to be a way that we Announce that Christ has Died, Christ is Risen, and Christ will Come Again. 

 

The Sacrament of Presence is an Announcement of His Mercy, 

 

The Announcement of 

The Person of Crucified, Risen, Returning Christ

The Feast of His Dying, Rising, Coming

The Gift of His Forgiveness, Company, Joy

The Revelation of His Goodness, Beauty, and Truth

The Word of His Cleansing, Provision, Rest.

 

By 

Giving Regard

Coming Alongside

Making Sanctuary

 

We understand this Ordinary Hospitality, this Gift of Ourselves, this  Announcement, to be a Means of Grace, a way that we proclaim and partake in

 

The Person of the  Crucified, Risen, Returning Christ

The Feast of His Dying, Rising, Coming

The Gift of His Forgiveness, Company, and Joy

The Revelation of His Goodness, Beauty, and Truth, 

The Word of His Cleansing, Provision, and Rest

 

Perhaps it is overly bold to say we offer “the sacrament of presence” out there. But rather I consider it a stance of humility. We are only out there as a small, flickering sign of what only Christ has done, is doing, and will do by His Dying, Rising, and Coming Again. 

 

This Announcement is, of course, is not the same as His Mercy. 

And it is only meant to be that, an Announcement. 

We are not the fullness of His Mercy,

We are not this Person, 

We are not the Feast,

We are not the Gift, 

We are not the Revelation. 

But we are it’s servant and guest, 

And we can become It’s Announcement. 

 

Our hope is that by this Announcement we hold out a Light and bear a Word that turns gods and strangers into servants and guests. 

 

Ordinary Hospitality is not the same as His Mercy, but it can be the Announcement of His Mercy, 

A way that we know this Person and make this Person known, 

a way that we proclaim and partake of this Feast, 

a we give and receive this Gift, 

 a way that bear witness and behold this Revelation, 

a way that we speak and hear  this Word. 

 

As its servant and its guest. 

 

By giving regard, we announce His Dying and the reality of His Forgiveness

By coming alongside, we announce His Rising and the reality of His Company

By making tables, we announce His Coming and the reality of His Joy. 

 

There is a verse that helps me see it:

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 

 

We are out there to hold out this Light, to hold out this little trembling flame that won’t go out. A  Light that turns gods and strangers into servants and guests and drives back darkness. 

 

To be out there as anything else is to ask too much of ourselves and too little of Christ. 

 

I am out there to announce His News, to announce this news by administering the Sacrament of Presence, by giving regard, coming alongside, and making tables. 

 

The problem is, we can only administer the sacrament of presence by participating in the Agony of Love, sharing in Christ’s own grief and gentleness. 

 

The  only way to do the job is to learn to be gentle. The only way to be gentle is through grieving. The Agony of Love is about entering into His grief that we might display His gentleness to the wounded and the cast out. 

 

People often ask where the ministry is headed. After 3 ½ years of ministry we have worked alongside His Gospel, Spirit, and Fellowship to establish four Outposts of Mercy were we practice giving regard, coming alongside, and making sanctuary, where we hope the sacrament of ordinary hospitality. 

 

These regular “offerings,” these Outposts of Mercy  have become rhythms and patterns across the span of the year:

 

Weekly Open Hours Cafe and Craft Table

Monthly Evensong and Open Mic

Quarterly Quiche and Crafts

Yearly Spiritual Retreat

 

These are simply offerings, our hope is that, consecrated by the proclamation of His Gospel and power of His Spirit, they become the Sacrament of Presence, a Means of Grace, a way that we proclaim and partake in 

 

The Person of the Crucified, Risen, and Returning Christ

The Feast of His Dying, Rising, Coming 

The Gift of His Forgiveness, Company, and Joy

The Revelation of His Beauty, Goodness, Truth

The Word of Cleansing, Provision, and Rest. 

 

Below shows some of the pictures of those events. I’ve written some cool blurbs beside those pictures. 

 

People often ask, do these things work? Do people who’ve been alienated and hurt come back to churches? Yes, but only at their speed and when it feels safe. But yes, all the time. Only if we are willing to go out to where they are, and give regard, come alongside, and make tables.