Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, swhom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Exciting news! With the generous help of an almost $150,000 grant from a fantastic foundation St Benedict's Chapel was able to purchase a new building yesterday and will soon be moving to its new location on 28th and Q. The new building more than doubles our space and will allow us to do more creative social ministry with the homeless and working poor.
As we take our next steps into this new future, my prayer is that this ministry can continue to live out its calling to "Feed Body and Soul". It's the "and Soul" part where this new location affords us greater opportunity for growth as a mission. We provide a meal to about 120 people each day. But the space we have been in (an old Subway Sandwich shop) has been too small and cramped and we have had to hustle people in and out. The new space will allow us to grow into our vision for truly being a center of social interaction -- a place where the most important thing, community, happens.
Two weeks ago a couple of ministers from St Benedict's went to visit a homeless ministry in Hollywood that they identified as a model for what we would like to become on day ourselves. When they came back they reported on what they saw and learned. They said what they discovered is that even more than the tangible needs the Hollywood ministry was meeting what impressed them most was the intangible needs it was meeting. "Isolation is the disease," one of them said, "what our friends on the streets need most is connection."
In today's lesson there is community and connection. The disciples do more then toss alms the lonely beggar's way. They look at him; they talk with him. They reach out and physically touch him. They empower him to stand on his own two legs. "Rise and walk," they say. And he does even more; he leaps.
Isolation is the disease. You can't throw alms at that. Gold and silver won't solve it. The only thing that can cure it is human connection.
May this new location be a place where human touch and talk happen. May it be a place of human connection and community. May all be fed there -- in body and in soul.
For more information on St Benedict's or to make a donation to our ministry see our website (and new building) at http://stbenedictslubbock.com.
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