Cafe on the Corner is one of the social enterprise cafes near where I live. A place that serves food and drinks at competitive prices, and ploughs all its 'profit' (surplus) into social projects. It is set in part of a former church, and occupies a handy corner position (hence its name) and serves very tasty breakfasts, lunches and sweet treats. The same premises also house a food bank and a bicycle workshop, serving the local community in many ways.
If you are visiting this town, it's worth a visit.
One of the roles I share in at vicar school is helping our students to learn about, and reflect on, important skills, practices and characteristics. This term we are focusing on weddings, and on Wednesday were thinking about symbols, rituals, liturgies and ceremonies. My colleague and I pooled some resources, including stoles, candles, ribbons, and a quaich. It was lovely to overhear the 'oohs' of participants walking into the chapel and seeing the visual centre-piece.... which I guess is a little of what you aspire to in creating the space for an actual wedding ceremony.
I am enjoying starting to share in this aspect of 'formation' alongside some of the more strategic and administrative work.
Definitely still needing my L-plates, but having fun learning.
After the service today, we had a delicious lunch of stew 'done right' with pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot. It prompted some interesting sharing of other local customs such as 'ham with parsley sauce' (West Midlands) a 'ham tea' (in a former mining town - a throw back to a time when meat was expensive and having ham with your bread and butter was a treat).
About 30 people sat down to share food, including a visitor from Belarus, who was passing through with an over-night stay.
This morning we didn't have a sermon at all, instead we listened to a very large chunk of scripture (Hebrews 11 into 12) and began our collage by adding the names we heard mentioned, before widening it out to include other people - named and unnamed - from the scriptures whose stories encourage and inspire us. (The white rectangles)
Next, I invited people to think of people from history they wanted to add on - this was more tricky and mostly we got the names I had 'prepared earlier' (green rectangles).
Lastly, having handed out slips of blue paper, people were invited to add names of people who had encouraged or inspired them - and what a lovely selection we got!
'Since we are surrounded by such a great crowd/cloud of witnesses...' the saints we can imagine sitting in the balcony of the church, looking down and urging us onward...
I have done similar exercises in other churches, in other places, and it always encourages me, as we locate ourselves in a much bigger and more wonderful story, alongside the great and the good.
Many food-banks, and also some animal rescues, do this, or something similar, each year. Our local food-bank is running a 'reverse Advent calendar' during November with the idea that you add one item each day, and drop off the box at the end of the month so that it can reach people in good time for Christmas. The suggestions are just that - the full post also mentions hygiene products and festive treats.
Wherever you live, I am sure there's something similar you could support, if you are able.
