Hoodrats

We often hear about people who are now actively using our Community Outreach Center (former school), but maybe we aren’t sure exactly who is doing what. One of those organizations, Families in Transition (FIT), offers children after-school enrichment opportunities, though the impact is far greater than that, as you might see in this reflection by FIT’s Executive Director Maura Hampton.

 “Hoodrat is a slang for people, coming from inner city circles, raised by the streets. Hoodrats are rarely well mannered, or educated, instead they are more characterized by a derelict upbringing, due to the hardships of hood life in most cities.  While some people, coming from the hood are able to break through the cultural barrier set in front of them, most people are left behind, to struggle in the midst of inner city difficulties.” (slanglang.net)

 I pulled into the parking lot and saw the children.  Desi, Miylah, and King were playing on the sidewalk when they saw my car.  “Mrs. Hampton!” they screamed and came running.  They made such a racket.  The excitement they felt at the sight of my car never ceases to amaze me.  By the time I parked and got out they were right there at my door, full of questions.  Miylah started peering in the windows, trying to see if I had any treats or toys for them.  I grabbed a small, boxed Christmas tree from my back seat and went to see Desi’s mother, Ms. Brooks.  The children were very curious about my package as we approached the hallway, and I turned to them and said, “I need to speak to Desi’s mother so I will see you later.”  Miylah, full of her usual antics started to ask more questions, so I reminded her it was none of her business, and stepped inside the hallway and knocked on the door.  “Who is it?” I heard Ms. Brooks say in a deep voice.  “It is Mrs. Hampton,” I said loudly so she could hear me over the sound from the t.v.  She opened the door and smiled when she saw me.  “Ms. Brooks, I have a Christmas tree for you.  A lady heard about your need and bought you a new one.”  Her face lit up.  She told me that she kept her artificial tree at her sister’s storage unit, and it became infested with bedbugs.  “Thank you so much Mrs. Hampton.  You have no idea what this means.  Now I can use the money for the tree towards my rent.”

 I asked her about her job search, and about how her children were doing.   We talked about how excited the children are about our new ministry space.  I said we will be able to have space to do homework, play at the park, offer art and music, and have a weekly bible study.  “Daveon believes in Jesus, Mrs. Hampton.  I heard him tell the kids that Christmas was Jesus’ birthday, and not about presents,” she said.  “Ms. Brooks, your children have been coming to our bible study for 3 years, and I have seen Daveon grow in his faith and knowledge of the Lord.  He has a sincere faith.” I said.  She got tears in her eyes.  She told me that Daveon always prays before dinner.  I asked her about Jhernee, her daughter in the seventh grade.  She indicated that she is doing well except in two classes.  She had all A’s and is upset because she has two B’s.  “Mrs. Hampton, it is hard for Jhernee because the twins bother her when she is doing her homework.  This week she was working on a paper, and she kept getting distracted.  Writing is not her strength, and she got a 70 on her paper.  She was so upset, she cried.”  “Ms. Brooks, I want you to know that when I plan for our new space, I think of your children.  I want Jhernee to have a quiet place to work on her homework after school.”

 She appeared to be touched by this and told me that Jhernee would be excited.  She shared that Jhernee never goes outside.  “She will only go with you Mrs. Hampton.  Otherwise she is afraid.  She just doesn’t have any ‘mean’ in her” she said.  “I know she doesn’t. And I know how tough it is out here on the streets.  That is why I hope Jhernee will come even though she is in middle school.  She can use our office, a place all her own so she will be able to concentrate.” I said.  “That would be so nice Mrs. Hampton.  Nobody thinks about us out here.  Even the people who live in the houses across the street from us, they call our kids “hood rats.”  These kids aren’t bad, they are just a product of their environment,” she said.

We talked for a while longer, but I honestly don't remember much else from our conversation.  I was upset by the thought that people would refer to anyone as a "hoodrat."  I wished Ms. Brooks Happy Thanksgiving, and I headed outside.  When I got in my car, the kids came over to say goodbye.  I opened my door and Desi leaned in and put her arms around me and lay her head in my chest.  I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the head.  “I love you Desi.” I said.  “I love you too.” She replied. “And you know who I love too?  God.”  And she lifted her head and looked at me with her big beautiful dark eyes.  These precious children are created and loved by God.  They are made in His image.  And it is in their faces, that I see the Lord most clearly.

In the Season of Advent

From the bidding prayer to a service of Advent Lessons and Carols in The Book of Occasional Services (p 22):

Dear People of God: In the season of Advent, it is our responsibility and joy to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.   Let us hear and heed in Holy Scripture the story of God’s loving purpose from the time of our rebellion against him until the glorious redemption brought us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise.  But first, let us pray for the needs of his whole world, for peace on and justice on earth, for the unity and mission of the Church for which he died, and especially for his Church in our country and in this city.  And because he particularly loves them, let us remember in his name the poor and hopeless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and unloved, the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.  Finally, let us remember before God his pure and lowly Mother, and that whole multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in Jesus, we are one evermore.

This Advent bidding from the heart of our Episcopal tradition speaks volumes about who we aspire to be, that we would choose to put ourselves in mind of the poor and hopeless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and unloved, the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ before we just settle in to the heartwarming message of the angels; that we not only hear but heed in Holy Scripture the story of God’s loving purpose for humankind before or as a way of entering into the story of going to Bethlehem to see the holy Child Jesus lying in a manger.  

To our misfortune, however, the commercialism of the Christmas season has all but obscured Advent so that, for most people (maybe even some of us), it seems that the Christmas season begins with the first TV commercial in September and ends the day after Christmas rather than following an enriching period of preparation, ending with the joyous twelve-day celebration of the Christmas season beginning on Christmas Day.  From Advent wreaths and candles to Advent calendars and solemn prayer, this Advent let's set aside time to prepare ourselves in joyful expectation for our Lord’s nativity.

Marc

Shifting Sands

I am so blessed to be serving a congregation of such gracious people.  So many of you have asked about how the transition is going and how much you are looking forward to meeting my family.  In this upside-down world we live in in this COVID-19 era, sometimes the best I can answer is that the sands keep shifting.

When I first came to St. Andrew's, I needed to start (in March) before we sold our house (in April).  At that point, Leticia was working on getting her medical licensure (as a doctoral level nurse practitioner) secured in Virginia.  Then due to the world pretty much blowing up, her job asked her to stay through August, so we sold the house and she (and Elizabeth) got a short-term lease on a house in Columbus, anticipating a move to Virginia then.  Then her job asked her to stay through October and so we went through the arduous task of moving from the rental house when the lease ended to another short-term lease (through October) on an apartment.  Apparently, the administration at Leticia's job assumed she was staying through the end of the year, though that was not Leticia's understanding, thus the apartment lease only through October.

In the meantime, Leticia was notified that she had been accepted into an eighteen-month academic (essentially a Masters) program focusing on mental health.  Already having so many academic credentials, she really debated whether to enter the program, but this was now the third time she had been accepted and told me "I keep coming back to it."  In the realm of theology, I know what that sounds like: discernment - not just to an academic program or a job, but a calling to a vocation.  This is something she really does need to pursue and I fully support it.

The unfortunate thing, as we have since learned, is that even after securing her medical licensure in Virginia, Leticia's program does not have arrangements with anyone in Virginia for her to complete her clinical hours and thus she cannot do the program if she moves to Virginia.  Consequently, she will remain in Indiana for the duration of her program.  I, of course, have only just begun at St. Andrew's and, with the impact of COVID-19, under highly unusual circumstances.  It isn't feasible at this point for me to consider relocating again (and the only Episcopal Church in Columbus is the one I just left), so I will remain at St. Andrew's until the Spirit directs otherwise.  This is certainly not ideal and not what we were anticipating when this saga began last year, but it's an upside-down world at the moment and what we simply have to deal with.  (Anyone have a little garage apartment they want to rent to a quiet tenant?)

I am appreciative of everyone's interest and graciousness and especially Anne's support as we try to navigate these shifting sands.  Like everything else in these crazy times, we'll make the best of it and be thankful for God's faithfulness through it all.

Marc

Action Gospels

We are quickly coming to the end of the Church Year; the last two Sundays, culminating with Christ the King Sunday, have Gospel lessons that focus on Christian action.  This Sunday is the parable of the talents:  one person got five to work with, another two, and another just one.  Five and two were able to double their investment of money, time, and sweat equity.  The person with one talent did nothing – he was, sadly, fearful of failure.  The following Sunday has the well-known Gospel: “I was hungry and you gave me food…” and the converse “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat….” Even in the midst of our collective suffering, we have the call to reach out beyond ourselves.  With prayerful consideration, we can find ways to do the greatest possible good with our resources.  Then, on Christ the King Sunday, we will know who, indeed, is King of our hearts.

Brad Norris
Minister of Music

Flexibility and Virtual Christmas Services

As we approach our regathering, let’s be like Gumby:  Flexible!

Dear friends,

The Covid-19 pandemic has created havoc in our lives in many different ways.  The world over, people have had to modify all kinds of plans and adapt to ever-changing situations.  That’s certainly been true for us at St. Andrew’s over the past months, and I anticipate that it will hold true for many months to come.

As we lay plans for our November 29 regathering, I ask each of you to take to heart the need for us all to be flexible in our interactions and also, as always, to be kind to one another. 

In a recent meeting, our staff talked about what a fluid time this is, with new information coming out daily.  Led by our Health and Safety Officer Joel Duregger, our parish staff and leaders are working hard to prepare for the regathering by ensuring that all necessary protocols are in place.  We are also incorporating into our plans all new diocesan guidance as we receive it. 

One happy piece of new guidance is that a few choir members, wearing special masks, will be allowed to sing during our worship service.  What a blessing that will be!  (Please note that for safety reasons, congregational singing is still prohibited.) 

There will doubtless be more changes to our plans as the days go by.  One of my favorite lines in the BCP is this petition from a Compline collect:  “…that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness” (pg 133). Yes indeed.  May we rest in God’s eternal changelessness, and may we be as flexible as Gumby!

Special Virtual Christmas Services

After much thought and prayer, I have decided that our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services this year will be virtual, rather than in-person.  Even though we will have regathered for worship by then, the protocols don’t allow for anywhere near enough seating for the number of people who usually come.  There is no perfect solution, but doing the services virtually allows for the most people to participate.

Our wonderful staff and I are already hard at work planning three very special services to help us celebrate Jesus’ birth:

• A Children’s Christmas Eve Service, complete with special music from Brad; cameos by some of our parish children; a retelling of the Christmas story using beloved creche sets; and a child-friendly liturgy.
• A Traditional Festive Christmas Eve Service, making use of our rich Book of Common Prayer liturgy and beautiful music from Brad and other musicians.
• A Simple Christmas Day Liturgy, straight from the Prayer Book.

You will definitely hear more about these special services in coming days, but I wanted to let you know as soon as possible that our Christmas services will be virtual.  This also gives our musicians, flower guild, and altar guild time to make and implement plans to add their beautiful gifts to our worship.

 --- Anne