…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.
Matthew 10:42
Dear friends,
In the time that I have been at Edwards Church, I have come to appreciate the congregation’s commitment at its core—to be a community of faith of radically hospitality, embracing every person who enters there. I have experienced this extravagant hospitality myself and have heard about it many times from others. This church’s doors are wide open, literally and figuratively. Come in, sit down, you are always welcome here. Indeed, that’s our greeting at every Sunday worship service!
Now, as we enter another month of our socially distanced reality, the doors of our sanctuary remain closed. Embracing in the physical sense is no longer possible. It’s a harsh reality, challenging us to live out our commitment to hospitality. How do we embrace and welcome in this time without a building and no doors to open?
Yet, as I read the brief passage from the Gospel of Matthew above, I heard Jesus’ call to a ministry of hospitality to a world of hostility and suffering, where even a cup of cold water would make a difference. Jesus had no doors to open, no sanctuary to share. Jesus isn’t talking about serving others in our sanctuaries, or our fellowship hall. He’s talking about reaching out to them and meeting them where they are.
By now you’ve likely heard about the “A Cup of Cold Water” service project at Edwards Church. This congregation-wide, intergenerational service project is an opportunity to extend hospitality as we reach out to people who are experiencing homelessness in Boston during the hot summer months in the midst of the pandemic. We are filling reusable water bottles with important safety items and delivering them to Rosie’s Place and Common Cathedral to distribute in July.
This seemingly small gesture is an act of hospitality, a way to live out what’s at the core of who we are at Edwards Church, to strangers in need, although we may never meet them. We’re using our hands and hearts to serve and spiritually walk with others as we, and they, journey through the summer months. Just as we’ve done from within our sanctuary, we continue to work together as the hands of Christ, teach our children along the way, and create a shared story in this chapter of the life of our congregation, even in these socially distanced times.
Please join us! There’s lots still to be done…masks to be made, items to donate, notes to be written, bottles to be filled. The article below describes all the detail and dates. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have a question.
In the summer days ahead, be safe, be well, beloved,
Karen Nell