Last post
After 14 months of searching, I believe I have found my sense of community here in Cabarrus County. I love it here, and I love the people so much.
So much so, that I don’t feel compelled to write or blog about finding community because just being a part of the community fabric consumes much of my daily life. This is a good thing. Community is family, Matt, Hope Church, community group, walking around my neighborhood, going to the Y, showing off my town to visiting friends and family, hosting folks over for dinner, having a deep conversation with a friend over coffee, sharing experiences with one another. Community is connection.
My thoughts about connection have begun to shift from the macro-level of community … and are slowly evolving to the micro-level of connection, of attachment — both of things, people, habits, thoughts, idols, time-wasters, etc. What do I attach myself to that is either fostering or hindering my personal growth? As a Christian, my desire is to strive daily to attach myself to that which is holy, full of love, and serving others.
So this will be my last post about finding community in Cabarrus, unless something strikes me so deeply that I must write about it on this blog. At this moment, the theme of my recent thoughts have consistently hit on my personal attachment to that which is healthy/unhealthy … that which brings peace to me and others, and that which fosters anxiety or distracts me from my true purpose on this Earth.
These thoughts (and more) can be found here on my new blog.
The role of the church
Let me first start by saying that these are merely thoughts in my head, and this is my blog, and I just need to unload stream-of-consciousness style. I’ve been thinking a lot about the role the church (the assembly of those who believe and follow in the teachings of Christ) played in the past and currently plays in society.
Back in the day (whenever “back in the day” was … I’m pondering around 1700 – 1800s), the church seemed to play a greater role in society. The church encouraged higher levels of thinking … many of our colleges were established as religious institutions of higher learning. The church commissioned artists to creatively express themselves … much of our most treasured and mesmerizing art were brought to the public by the work of the church. Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508 to repaint ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. the church cared for the sickest in their community. But most importantly, so many of our hospitals were founded by the church (mainly Catholics, from my perspective). The Catholic church saw the need and had the resources (power/money/will of the people) to help meet this need.
Just a mere 50 years ago, the church had a greater role in building and bridging social capital when Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. organized the members of the Southern African-American church community to protest against racial injustice and inequality. It was a clear need within the community. Local church members used their boycotting power and willpower to stimulate a social movement that changed the course of American history!
Our modern-day social safety net has been built to help the members in our community have their basic needs met.
- Food: Food stamps, WIC nutrition, free school breakfasts & lunches
- Health: Medicaid, Medicare
- Shelter: Housing authority, affordable housing programs, foster care, adoption
- Safety and security: Police, victims assistance, social security
These are all great services to our community, but these services are offered by the government and not the church. I wonder, what is the church’s role in all of this? Within our society, there are still foster children, whole families that are homeless, teen pregnancies, and plenty of poverty all around. Is it within the modern-day church’s resources to ensure at least one of these social needs be fully met? How does the local church help to build social capital within its community?
I often think about this when I reflect on my work in teen pregnancy prevention. I know that what I do is very important. And yet, what I do every day is something anyone can do. I believe the local church and families should have a bigger role in preventing teen pregnancy, but most often it’s in the form of either avoiding the topic or shaming all forms of sexual expression. The essence of preventing teens from getting pregnant is really quite simple. Anyone can do this! It’s not rocket science. My teens need help setting goals beyond high school. They need to learn a few key facts about human sexuality. They need to develop the skills to refuse what they don’t want. Most importantly, they need to know how much others care about them.
My job is to create a positive and safe space so these young adults can enjoy their teenage years without having to worry about pregnancy or STDs. It’s powerful and humbling to recognize how simple this is. Thanks to a state-funded grant, I get paid to do this!
Acts 4:34 speaks to the nature of the early church members (those that perhaps were first generation Christians). “There was no needy person among them.” While the modern-day church seems to be more than willing to give its opinion on moral standards, I believe we have failed society by turning a blind eye on their basic needs.
Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day! Though it’s cold and rainy today, I’m planting my seedling herbs into my patio garden, opening my window curtains to let the natural sunlight in, and inviting some friends over for a yummy homemade basil lemonade and strawberry compote.
Community health evangelism
In light of reading Kisses from Katie about a young woman’s health and education ministry to the Masese children in Uganda, I’ve been learning more about health & education ministries and community development. I’ve run across a new term — community health evangelism — and I’m intrigued.
Community health evangelism merges the best practices of public health and discipleship by addressing a person’s physical, social and spiritual needs. Someone trained in CHE becomes both a health educator and a minister to the local community. They are catalysts for change; they transform communities through education in hygiene, first aid, family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other basic life skills. From a simple google search, I’m learning that there is a quarterly training in Marion, NC that instructs on the principles of CHE and provides an intensive two-week training in medical missions. Super cool.
Community health evangelism seems like a holistic health approach to spiritual development, and I just think that’s the bees knees.
Kisses from Katies
I’m reading this book by a 20-something year old girl named Katie Davis who decided to choose an alternative lifestyle by living, loving and adopting children in Uganda. I love this book so much. As I read it, I’m reflecting on the things that I selfishly hold tight to, and I’m thinking about things I can easily give away to my neighbors. And I’m critically thinking … Does my life’s work reflect God’s glory? How can I (my selfish pride, my self-centered ego) become less so that God can become greater in me?
Portlandia — She’s making jewelry now
I have to remember this when I get into a crafty spirit. Repeat after me, Lauren: You can NOT make a lot of money selling homemade broaches!
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
I had a random Monday off last week, which can be either used to do three things: run errands (feeling productive!), do absolutely nothing (feelings of guilt!), or go exploring (feeling free and curious!). I chose the latter, and I’m so glad that I did because I drove my little Toyota a solid 30 miles down to the southwestern part of Charlotte into the cute town of Belmont, NC.
Matt and I drove through downtown Belmont when we went on our hiking adventure to Crowders Mountain. It’s a quaint small town with a Catholic vibe (Belmont Abbey College is located here). Though we had driven through the town a month or two ago, I had not quenched my Belmont thirst because I hadn’t yet ventured to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. It’s one of those places that gets a lot of attention in the Charlotte tourist-y magazines, and I wanted to check it out for myself. Onward! about 6 miles past downtown Belmont, I finally made it to the entrance. It was a good thing there were signs to this place, because I would have never found it and I probably would have turned around about halfway there.
So, I got there around 9:00 am (it had just opened), paid a small fee, and began to walk all around the gardens, into an indoor conservatory filled with tropical plants, around babbling fountains, and then took a leisurely nature walk into the newest phase of the DSBG’s woodland area. Thanks to the environmental education postings all around the nature walk, I learned about invasive species that aren’t native around here (kudzu, for example) that have been introduced by humans into the habitat and are invading the Catawba region. The true loss to nature is a reduction of biodiversity. Invasive species can take over a habitat and drive out local native species to extinction. Kind of like Walmarts & fast food chains are taking over the landscape and driving out local businesses! 😦
Strolling through DSBG was a beautiful way to spend a Monday morning in the Spring. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, like a queen in her Victorian garden, like a princess at an English tea party.
Homegrown and handpicked birthday gifts
I turned 29 last week. Two weeks ago, I was acting goofy, pivoted awkwardly and I strained my right knee. Per Matt’s instructions, I’ve been R-I-C-E-ing my knee (rest, ice, compression and elevation), plus a decent dose of ibuprofin. I haven’t quite been the same. My humility and frustration set in quickly once I realized I couldn’t go up and down stairs like I had in the past. I definitely, definitely feel all of my 29-ness.
However, I feel like I celebrated my birthday in a way that I’ve never experienced before. Along with a bouquet of hydrangeas (my favorite!) and a dinner date with my sweetie, and some cute clothes from my parents and in-laws, I received the most unique and wonderful gifts from my new friends in Cabarrus County.
- Handpicked flowers from my coworker Victoria’s backyard garden
- A couple of branches picked from my coworker Jenn’s rosemary bush
- A homegrown, canned mason jar of dill pickles from my coworker Paula
- Handmade birthday cards from the girls in my class at Kannapolis Middle
What a better way to celebrate the last birthday of my twenties than with some sweet, thoughtful gifts straight from the heart of my new friends.
Finding community in Cabarrus 