Every valley shall be exalted! This is part of the dynamic prophesy that John the Baptist borrowed from the prophet Isaiah, as he prepared the people for the coming of the Lord.
There has been the feeling that the exalting of valleys and consequent leveling of hills would be performed by a supernatural intervention. Yet it seems to me there is another way of seeing this action take place.
Perhaps it is one of the tasks of the Church to help ‘level the playing field.’ That is to say, it is the call of God to ask God’s covenant people to level the inequities of life that favor the powerful and disadvantage the weak and excluded. We not only wait for the coming of the Lord, we actively prepare the way by allowing every person access to the promised land.
In this spirit, All Saints is actively engaged in both symbolic and real action that conforms with the ancient call and expresses the ideals proclaimed in our worship.
This Saturday, as every Saturday we gather to prepare free meals for the city’s disadvantaged. The work of our volunteers proclaims the love of God in honoring all people, especially those that our society has excluded and forgotten. Each meal could be seen as a kind of communion that says, you are welcome at the table of the Lord. Of course, much more has to be done, but this is a significant participation in righteousness.
This Sunday from 2:00-5:00 members of our Church’s Anti-Racism Committee will host an event that honors and gifts victims of domestic violence, by partnering with the agency W.A.R.M. (We All Really Matter) which is a non-profit organization located in Harlem, that serves victims of domestic violence, both spouses and children.
We know we aren’t ending world hunger or injustice, but we are participating in a sacred response and making our prayers and our theology three dimensional. We are becoming a more whole gospel church that takes the idea of “On earth as it is in heaven” seriously. The biblical idea was a hope for the restoration of this world. It was the ascension of Greek philosophy that transferred so much attention to an idealized life in heaven. True discipleship moves our focus from pie in the sky to food in the belly and presents under the tree.
Please know, that we are all in this effort together. If you cannot join us in volunteering, you can donate gifts, money, prayers and encouragement. But if you can volunteer to help wrap presents or staff the event please call or write 212-758-0447 or info@allsaintsnyc.org.
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