We welcome all to come and journey with us in faith. We take seriously the Gospel tradition that all are justified by God's grace through faith. We do not earn our salvation. God's grace is not limited to some, but is available to all. We are a diverse community and welcome all people regardless of ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, physical disability, or economic situation. We would love to have you come worship with us. Christ's peace.
Welcome means welcome. All means all. Beloved means beloved. Forgiven means forgiven. In the world of American Christianity, those words are quite common, but each one can be dropped or burdened with conditions. When the love of God that knows no limit cannot be contained by the conditions humanity loves to place on all things, it is truly a love that will not let us go. This is a rare love . . . it is a costly love . . . it is a bold and upfront love for all.
As we approach the end of the month of May and the end of the ‘festival’ time of the Church Year, we also approach what is known as the ‘ordinary’ time of the Church Year. I find that odd. Here’s an overview of ‘ordinary’ – wow.
- The Summer Worship Schedule changes as we move to one liturgy at 10:00 am. Yes, as always, we will be able to see those people who come to that other liturgy and expect to sit in our seats. All and all it is a brilliant time for all to see the texture and character of the whole body of Christ at Redeemer.
- Choir Sunday kicks off the summer worship schedule on June 2. Our choirs will weave themselves into and through the Eucharistic liturgy. Yes, it will be more music than we are blessed to hear each week so it is simply wonderful to be drenched with such blessed gifts of music.
- The Ravens’ Farmers Market will welcome our first Sunday of operation on Sunday, June 2. The Market will be held on the north lawn and open from 1pm – 4pm every Sunday through the end of October. This is truly a community and church collaboration.
- Redeemer’s Summer Basketball Camp begins on Monday, June 10. The camp runs Monday through Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 pm for six weeks. Former NBA and ABA player and coach, Larry Jones – a Berwick resident, continues to serve as the head coach.
There are times when a community – neighborhood groups, congregations, and individuals – must step forward and take responsibility for the shaping of our life together. The Ravens’ Farmers Market is a collaborative project between Redeemer, Berwick Civic Association, Berwyn East, Berwyn West, and Christ United Methodist. We intend to bring fresh produce into our neighborhood that some have designated as one of the ‘food deserts’ (no grocery stores) within the city of Columbus. This is our attempt to say an urban neighborhood like ours cannot and should not be ignored and treated as though we do not deserve the essential components of a lively community.
The Ravens’ Farmers Market will open on Sunday, June 2, 2013, and will be open every Sunday through the end of October. The market will be open 1 – 4pm. In addition to financial support from our collaborators, we have be awarded a Neighborhood Partnership Grant from the United Way of Central Ohio, Bob Evans, The Columbus Foundation, and PNC Bank. We expect that community demand will be strong and farmers will benefit as much as our whole neighborhood. As this project unfolds, we intend to provide EBT services to assist shoppers and our farmers.
Note: The name for our farmers’ market is taken from a story from 1Kings 17:6. In that story, the Prophet Elijah is sent out into the desert – alone. In that place where there is no food – Ravens bring Elijah bread and meat to keep him nourished. The Ravens’ Farmers Market hopes to be just such a conduit of food into our urban food desert.