Anxiety in the face of abundance


The First United Methodist Church in Sarasota hosted its 7th annual Christmas Banquet for homeless and needy people.
It’s a classy affair. The tables are set with linen table cloths and good cutlery etc.  Each table has a magnificent and seasonal centre-piece –  a different one on each table -  made by church members in a friendly competition.
Church members wait on tables, and the food is more than excellent:  turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, dressing (stuffing) and good vegetables – followed by excellent homemade desserts.
The whole event runs like a well oiled machine. I estimate that there were close to 200 guests, served by about 50 volunteers.
Congratulations to the members of First United Methodist Church, for this extraordinary hospitality. The event is as far from a “soup kitchen” as you could imagine. It is truly a banquet.
My role was to “work the crowd” as folks lined up outside the Church.  Many arrived more than an hour before the Banquet began.  I knew about 70% of the guests, and they knew me.
Some asked me to pray with them.  I joshed and wise-cracked with others.  I tried to shake every hand, as a sign that “you are welcome”. Mostly I tried to be a non-anxious presence in the lives of those guests who were concerned in case there would not be enough room or food for them.  I also had to fend off the bull sh-t of those people who assured me that they had a special and unique reason to be placed at the head of the line.  I said to one of them -  “you cannot bull sh-t a bull sh-tter”  -  in other words “I know your game, for I too have played it”.
As I drove home I mused on the theme of “anxiety in the face of abundance”.
That’s a common enough feeling not only for homeless people, but also for those of us who are relatively well heeled. 








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not remember the words “ar
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were able to get together a few
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur
Read more