To Dream of Showers
I’m writing this on August 30th, 2017.
The last I heard Kingwood Christian Church, the congregation in NE Houston I served with before coming to PHCC, was hosting somewhere between 80 and 100 Hurricane Harvey refugees in their fellowship hall.
When I was with Kingwood CC we worked through a renovation to the fellowship hall. The total cost was not huge, a couple of generous household really wanted to see it happen, and the project went pretty smoothly.
During the planning stage, a few people were energetic and adamant that we should add showers to the bathroom renovation part of the plan. They were pleasant and positive about it, but they were resolute. And, if my memory serves me correctly, it wasn’t something a lot of people cared much about adding.
But, the few people who did care said, “The plumbing’s already there, it really doesn’t cost much, and it will give us something new and good to offer visitors in the name of Christ. It will help us show better hospitality to Family Promise four times a year. It will allow us to better host mission groups moving through town looking for an inexpensive place to stay. And, if there is ever, well, you know, a horrible disaster, another terrible storm….”
We added two showers to the plan. And now at least a couple of storm refugees at a time can bathe without having to suffer the indignity of washing their armpits and crotch in a sink.
Like those few “shower advocates”, each of us will get nudges from the Holy Spirit we need to claim, advocate for, and put into place so, as the ancient Rule of St. Benedict puts it, “Each guest is treated as if he or she were Christ.”
What is that nudge for you?
I’m writing this on August 30th, 2017.
The last I heard Kingwood Christian Church, the congregation in NE Houston I served with before coming to PHCC, was hosting somewhere between 80 and 100 Hurricane Harvey refugees in their fellowship hall.
When I was with Kingwood CC we worked through a renovation to the fellowship hall. The total cost was not huge, a couple of generous household really wanted to see it happen, and the project went pretty smoothly.
During the planning stage, a few people were energetic and adamant that we should add showers to the bathroom renovation part of the plan. They were pleasant and positive about it, but they were resolute. And, if my memory serves me correctly, it wasn’t something a lot of people cared much about adding.
But, the few people who did care said, “The plumbing’s already there, it really doesn’t cost much, and it will give us something new and good to offer visitors in the name of Christ. It will help us show better hospitality to Family Promise four times a year. It will allow us to better host mission groups moving through town looking for an inexpensive place to stay. And, if there is ever, well, you know, a horrible disaster, another terrible storm….”
We added two showers to the plan. And now at least a couple of storm refugees at a time can bathe without having to suffer the indignity of washing their armpits and crotch in a sink.
Like those few “shower advocates”, each of us will get nudges from the Holy Spirit we need to claim, advocate for, and put into place so, as the ancient Rule of St. Benedict puts it, “Each guest is treated as if he or she were Christ.”
What is that nudge for you?