Living In the Advent Meantime

Pastor Jeff Nehrbass
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As Gethsemane walks as a community church into Advent, we wonder what it means to live in the meantime.... that time from now -where we live as a community with the consequences of urban decay and systemic neglect- to that time when the reign of God breaks through the bonds of poverty, class and race and we truly experience the embrace of co-heirs.

Our community of neighbors and volunteers have decided recently to walk boldly and hopefully into that bright future. We asked that, if we could gather the food grocery stores throw away on any given day with the people who most need it, that God might give us a glimpse of what this new world would look like. 

After some planning and countless volunteer hours, here is the picture of what happened...

Two hundred people and 10,000 pounds of food. A moment of smiles. A shared vulnerability shared openly and to each other in gratitude that at least, on this day, our children and families would be fed and nourished. Fed with more than anyone thought possible with the food the world throws away. Nourished by the lived experience that Jesus is still miraculously feeding the hungry and creating Christian community when we are bold enough to walk into God’s world. We declare boldly that, as a community living in the meantime, the growing reign of God is closer than anyone of us had dared to hope!