St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco is known to many throughout the church for two reasons – it’s dancing saints and its food pantry. Artist Mark Dukes painted both ancient and modern-day saints on the walls above the round sanctuary of St. Gregory’s. They are joined in a joyous dance. And every Friday that same sanctuary is transformed into a food pantry serving about 400 people per week. The saints dance above while people load bags and carts with fresh produce, bread, and staples. Sara Miles has written about the ministry in Take This Bread and Jesus Freak. John and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to visit while in San Francisco.The pantry isn’t so different from other food pantries. Well, except for the saints who dance above it. AND the joy with which people serve. All the volunteers were dressed up for Halloween, adding to the festive mood.
I’m writing this on All Saints’ Day, my 15th anniversary as Vicar at St. John’s and a day to remember that we are one with the living and the dead and the ones yet to come. The Occupy movement is certainly reminding us that we are one with the richest and the poorest and everyone in between. My three months of travel from one street ministry to another across the nation has sharpened my awareness of the interconnectedness of all of us in our wealth and our poverty (economically and spiritually), and in our response to God’s command to love God and love one another. I’ve seen love in action everywhere I have visited. I have seen Christ all across the U.S. in the faces of the homeless and in the faces of those who worship and serve among them. Let us dance with joy as we praise God in all that we do.
Happy Anniversary!
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