Throughout the past week, we welcomed three of our Discern staff to Atlanta: John, Emily K, and Emily P. They have settled into Capitol View Dwell, making community alive again in a house that has been occupied by only the Gerber family for the past 4 months. The Gerbers have enjoyed having a fellow Kansan (Emily K) in the house, three new playmates for the kids, and the enthusiasm that John and the Emily's bring to the community. Emily P and John will continue to reside in the CV Dwell house in the fall, when they begin their Dwell/YAV year.
Will and Lacey of Columbia Theological Seminary also joined us this week as a part of our Discern staff. As our Program Staff, they have been working hard to create worship and reflection programming for the summer, which they will also be leading every week. They were able to test out some of their ideas this weekend, while we hosted our first summer Discover group.
First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, NC brought a group of 15 to Atlanta, and spent Saturday serving a total of 4 agencies. Hosting this group was a wonderful way to introduce our staff to the Discover program, both because it was a short weekend group, and because this church is well acquainted with DOOR, having come to Atlanta for a week last summer.
I am incredibly happy with how the weekend went. Our new cook, Lathette Brooks, went above and beyond with food service, even decorating tables with flowers. Lacey and Will led beautiful worship and facilitated reflections that were creative, insightful, and conversational among the youth. John, Emily, and Emily were enthusiastic and eager to serve. Working alongside such wonderful staff has relieved a great deal of my fears for the summer, and given me a renewed sense of excitement.
Lastly, today we all attended the ordination of Maggie Leonard at Mercy Church. Maggie is a former YAV, a pastor at Mercy Church (where we will be sending Discover groups this summer), and a friend. At her ordination service, one of her colleagues read a Fransiscan Blessing that I had heard once before while I was on a mission trip to Mississippi. It had really affected me when I first heard it as a sophomore in college, and it did so again when I heard it today.
“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.”
I pray for that kind of foolishness...for our groups, our summer staff, our agencies, and ourselves.
Megan Warley
Co-City Director, DOOR Atlanta
404-438-9859
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