FESTIVAL OF SHELTERS ~ Oct 4 & 5

Festival of Shelters

Sunday, October 4 at 6pm ~ Celebration of shelter and blessing for the homeless (coffee and desert will follow)

Monday, October 5 at 5pm ~ Celebration of the Harvest of God’s provision (shared dinner together)

WHAT IS THE FESTIVAL OF SHELTERS?

The Festival of Shelters comes to us from Leviticus 23:42 where the People of God are instructed to build simple shelters and to live in them for seven days remembering a lifetime of days spent homeless, wandering the wilderness, in search of food and water, hoping for a promised place. The Festival also became a harvest celebration where the people remembered what it was like to be hungry and thirsty and to show gratitude for God’s provision of food.

WHY DO WE DO IT?

Our Festival of Shelters is intended to be a challenge to resist and celebration of rejoicing:

· We who have plenty are reminded that we have all experienced need and, that it is God who provides our needs;

· We are challenged to move away from greed and pride of wealth and accumulation;

· And to remember and that the stranger, the wanderer, the homeless and the hungry are specially loved and cared for by God.

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE!

On Sunday afternoon, October 4 we will begin setting up structures that represent the different kinds of homeless suffering in our city: those on the streets, the refugee experience, the undocumented immigrant, and the battered woman.

At 5pm we will have a liturgy that speaks to the different experiences of those without shelter in our society and calls us to greater justice.

Two groups will depart for a night spent out on the streets. They will be blessed and sent out after the liturgy. One group will return back Monday morning at 8:00am. The other group will return Monday evening for dinnertime at 5:00pm. We will share dinner and a time of sharing reflections on homelessness. Please let us know in advance if you are interested in spending the night on the streets. We want to keep the groups small, so there will be limited spaces.

Call if you have questions: 816-241-8047.