Goodness Weekly 01.15.24
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
–MLK, Letter From Birmingham Jail
What’s Good
This past week our Charis Park construction team poured the cement for the main circle walkway that will tie all of the distinct areas of the park together. We are thrilled to be nearing the completion of the hardscape elements of the park and anticipate plants being installed just in time for Spring.
A Message from Chelsea
Chelsea Stirman Sunset Ridge Church Family Minister
Having grown up in the Panhandle, I am accustomed to snow and ice, but the past seven years living further south–first in Abilene and now in San Antonio–have fostered a certain trepidation of the cold. As a child, snow days were reasons to wake up extra early to play outside or spend the whole day watching movies as a family. Now, weather alerts call to mind the last major front three years ago, when I learned what makes water potable and how quickly a house without heat can become unbearable. I think of my car sliding in the ice as I attempted to find shelter. I remember the collective grief we shared for the people in our communities who died because they had no one to turn to when the power went out.
During that time of great anxiety and genuine risk, the lines of “mine” and “yours” quickly disappeared as people opened their homes and resources to help their neighbor. Public spaces were converted into heating stations, people from states over were sending money to purchase precious supplies, friends-of-friends were showing up bundled in blankets and carrying any potable water they could collect. When time was measured in hours, not days, so many people in our communities showed up for one another, and I know of very few people that could have made it through entirely on their own.
It is especially poignant to me that this cold front, this reminder of our shared humanity, would blow through on the day that we celebrate a man who spent his life advocating for the collective good. In standing up for the rights and dignity of his Black brothers and sisters, Martin Luther King Jr. constantly reminded people of the strength of the whole. This “inescapable network of mutuality,” as he calls it, binds each person to their neighbor in a way that betters both people, and the world.
Today I invite you to consider what mutuality might look like in your life. We are not meant to navigate this world as solo agents, taking nothing and offering nothing in return. We are meant to share light and goodness in a way that brings life to us all.
We are meant to flourish together.
Around Our Community
Sprouts School is a neighborhood-based nature school on our campus. Students spend at least half of their day outdoors exploring the “habitat” of our neighborhood and taking “hikes” to the nearby Terrell Heights Community Garden, the McNay art museum, the bagel shop down the street, and the soon-to-be Charis Park. We love seeing these children learn about this interconnected community of people, animals, buildings, and nature. Enrollment is ongoing so please visit sproutsschool.org to find out more.
This Week
Monday, Jan 15th Campus Closed
Sunday, Jan 21st
4:30pm Outdoor Worship
6-7pm Every Season Sacred Book Club (open to all parents of school aged children, dinner & childcare provided)
6-7pm Youth Group
Coming Up…
Sunday, Jan 28th Chapel Worship
Inhale:
May I see my neighbor
Exhale:
Our humanity is tied together
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