Here’s a story submitted by Richie Hilbert, a member of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and one of the most reliable sources of cheerful spiritual energy on the planet. When she told me about something that had happened in our homeless ministry a few days ago I said, “I love it. I want you to write [...]
Archive for the ‘Homelessness, etc.’ Category
Guest Blogger: Richie Hilbert
Posted in Homelessness, etc., tagged Community Missions, First Baptist Church, homeless, Richie Hilbert, Richmond, Susan Stratton on January 8, 2010 | 5 Comments »
How to Stay Warm on a Cold Night
Posted in Church, Community, Homelessness, etc., tagged 1 Kings 1, Abishag, blanket, David, girl, Israel, night, pretty, Shunnamite, warm on October 28, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Sometimes everything just comes together. It did this morning at community missions, down on the basement level of our building. I try to go down there every Wednesday morning to greet our homeless neighbors and make them feel welcome. I usually share a thought and say a prayer. I don’t always know what my “thought” [...]
What, finally, shall we say?
Posted in Church, Homelessness, etc., Poems, The Missional Church, tagged afraid, Church, compassion, fearless, forgotten, lonely, mission, neglected, poem, poor, sad, Urusula Solek, wretched on October 14, 2009 | 5 Comments »
A great poem, shared with me by my friend Roberta Damon: What, finally, shall we say In the last moment When we will be confronted By the Unimaginable, The One Who could not be measured or contained In space or time Who was Love Unlimited? What shall we answer When the question is asked About [...]
There’s a Hole in My Earthsuit!
Posted in Church, Homelessness, etc., tagged bald spot, earthsuit, First Baptist, homeless, limping, ministry, Richmond, shower, spacesuit on September 25, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I went down to the basement level of First Baptist Church on Wednesday to greet the people who come for our shower ministry. I try to do this every week, partly because I love the people and partly because it keeps my ministry “real.” Instead of visiting only with the sweet-smelling and freshly scrubbed Christians of [...]
Right Before My Eyes
Posted in Church, Homelessness, etc., tagged bearded, constuction, dirty, First Baptist Church, homeless, ministry, Richmond, rodeo clown, smelly, swarthy on September 10, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Yesterday I went down to the basement level at First Baptist Church to greet the homeless men and women who come for hot showers, clean clothes, and the generous love of Jesus they receive from our faithful volunteers. After I had offered a word of welcome and a prayer a man came up to me [...]
