News and Views for supporters and friends of
News and Views for supporters and friends
of
June 2005
Warm weather is upon us. This is our busiest
season. Our ministry seems to be counter-cyclical. Most people
think of the greatest need for the homeless being in the winter.
And that is generally true. Because that is the way most people
think, including those at social service agencies, churches and
city hall; that is when their services are focused. A number of
soup kitchens close for the summer. Philadelphia city shelters
generally run out of funding and close down sometime beginning in
June or July and don't reopen until the new funding year begins
in September. This leaves wider cracks for people to fall
through. Since our ministry is to those who fall through the
cracks of the institutional system, our greatest need is in the
summer.
We need more sandwiches, hundreds more, every Thursday. We can
use more help to serve. As the crowds grow and the temperatures
rise, it is better not to rely on the homeless to help serve the
goodies and the cold drinks, as we have been for most of the
year. Volunteers leave when they are done serving and are not as
likely to be accused of showing favoritism as those who live
among them.
So, anything you can do to help is appreciated. Make it a family
outing. Make sandwiches and join us on the street on a Thursday
night. If Tuesdays are better, you can join the folks at Word in
Action. Please step out in faith and do something.
"The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his
trust in the Lord shall be safe." - Proverbs 29:25
Remember the Homeless
on Your Vacation
Those personal care items in hotel bathrooms are much appreciated
by those who have to carry all their personal belongings on their
persons. If you stay in a hotel room, you paid for those little
bottles of shampoo, soap and lotion. You probably packed your own
so don't need them. Bring them home. Also those little kits they
give you on airlines, if you are fortunate enough to travel first
class, are much appreciated. Even the little bags of peanuts are
a nice little treat.
If the place where you work has a sales or consulting department
that travels regularly, ask if you can put a box for them to
deposit these goodies when they return from trips, in their
department. When it fills, either give it to someone connected
with The King's Jubilee at church or drop it by my house; or join
us on a Thursday night to help share them yourself.
Passing the Torch
A dear friend passed away last month. He is 98 years old. He
prayed for us daily for more than twenty-five of those years. His
name is Jacob Kulp. Even though he was still a Mennonite when he
died, his life and testimony and prayers are a sizable part of
why our family is Orthodox today.
Jake was so faithful in his prayers that when he missed a day, I
could feel the difference. One day, back in 1987 or 1988, I
was having just an irritating, off-kilter day. (At the time, I
was Mennonite Chaplain for Philadelphia Prisons.) Nothing was
going right and it seemed that there were spiritual
forces that were just bringing everything down. As I
pondered this, I thought of Jake. It struck me that there must be
something wrong with Jake. I called his home and found out
that he had been taken to the hospital. I went right over to
visit him. As I entered his room, before I could say a word, he
said, "Brother Cranford, can you forgive me? I was too
sick to pray for you today."
I was humbled and amazed by this, and replied, "Jake, there
is nothing to forgive. I could feel the difference. It's my turn
to pray for you." This happened when Jake was a young man in
his eighties.
It was around that same time that I helped Jake to wire a new
house with electricity. In the middle of the work one day, he
began to weep. He then raised his hands to heaven and looked up
and said: "How long, O Lord, how long will you tarry your
coming?" He then confessed to me how he thought it would be
easier to live the Christian life as he got older, but that he
found that it seemed the temptations were that much stronger the
closer he got to the goal. This was very sobering to me, in my
thirties, coming from a godly, prayerful man, in his eighties.
How did Jacob Kulp help me along the way to Orthodoxy? At Finland
Mennonite Church, Jake was one of a generation of folks whom we
had the privilege of getting to know. They still wore plain
clothes. They sang four part harmony without instruments,
sometimes in German. They were serious about their faith in
Christ and dealt honestly and kindly with all they met. There
were six couples who had been married over 50 years in this
little church of 140 people.
We saw the church ignoring these people and their wisdom. They
were listening, instead, to the college and seminary educated
church growth experts. They dumbed down Sunday School. They
introduced instruments into the services, and began to opt for a
"worship band" repeating gospel choruses in the place
of theology laden hymns.
We occasionally heard these older folks, gently, and oh so
meekly, complain about some of the innovations. Then came the
discussions over divorce and remarriage; then ordination of
women; acceptance of homosexuality; ordination of homo- sexuals;
blessing of homosexual unions. At the same time, friends of mine
in three different Mennonite colleges were getting flack for
encouraging prayer and Bible reading in the doms. And the
seminaries were moving on to reconsider the inspiration of
Scripture and the deity of Jesus Christ.
These simple, godly older folks just held onto their faith and
prayed. One by one, couple by couple, they moved into church old
folks homes where they could still sing the old hymns and hear
the Scriptures preached. They are out of sight of the local
congregations, so the churches can innovate as they please. One
by one, they are passing away.
I still haven't answered the question.
The first time I walked into a service at St. Philip Antiochian
Orthodox Church, the icons had an interesting message for me. At
that point, it was just the iconostasis, the 24 medallion icons
and the Platytera in the church, along with a few portable icons
on the walls. I was immediately reminded of Jake and our other,
older friends in the Mennonite church. The message that I got was
this: This church belongs to Jesus Christ, to the Virgin Mary, to
St. John the Baptist, to St. Philip, to St. Nicholas, to St.
Cyprian, to St. Thekla, etc. And we dare not do anything here to
make them uncomfortable in their church! I have never seen that
stated in the defense or theology of the icons, but it was
reassuring to me.
There were a number of comments at Jake's viewing and funeral
that asked the questions: Who is taking his place? Who will take
up his ministry of prayer? Who will delight in wonder and praise
to God at the blossoming of an evening primrose?
As the older generation passes away, responsibilities are passed
down. Am I preparing to be a wise old man or just an old fool?
What legacy am I preparing to leave behind? What treasure am I
sending on ahead? What kind of guidance and example am I giving
for others to follow? Am I living in such a way as to
finish the course to obtain the prize, before the cloud of
witnesses beckoning me on?
What We Need
I feel it is long past time to start taking this ministry to the
next level. We would like to be able to offer more service to the
poor and homeless in and around Philadelphia and elsewhere. To do
this The King's Jubilee needs some "infrastructure". If
you can do any of the following tasks to help move things along,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Edit and update www.shoutforjoy.net.
Assemble and maintain the mailing list.
Address & stuff newsletters for mailing.
Help serve on the streets of Philadelphia on Tuesday or Thursday
nights.
Be available to move household goods and furniture on occasion.
Serve on the streets with instruments and songs.
Or you may have a task that I have not thought of that would be
helpful. We are open to suggestions.
Evangelism
Some of us who came from evangelical churches keep asking the
question: What does Orthodox evangelism look like?
This week, I finally heard and began to understand the answer
that a wise priest gave me once again. "Keep the feasts and
the fasts. Be faithful at the Liturgy. Live as a Christian.
Pray."
Think about it. How did you become Orthodox? What drew you? Who
impressed you? Now, become like that.
I'll write more in the next newsletter.
The Ad
"Come and See" Icons, Books & Art was started with
the hope that it would provide a steady income with flexible
hours to facilitate my involvement in service with The King's
Jubilee. After over four years, the website has over 1,000
different icons on it. We have signed royalty agreements with
more than a dozen iconographers of a variety of styles. The
collection is growing all the time. We have shipped to all 50
states, every province in Canada and to over thirty other
countries on all six inhabited continents. We average about 7,000
hits per day on the website. Please come and browse our
collection at www.comeandseeicons.com
The Appeal
We can only do what we do, because there are many others who
share the resources God has given them with us. Donations are
gladly and gratefully received. In addition to checks and cash,
personal size shampoos, soaps & lotions are always welcome,
as well as men's clothing in season.
Checks can be mailed to:
The King's Jubilee
216 W. Fourth St. 27 N. Front St.
East Greenville, PA 18041-1629 Souderton, PA 18964-1148
Our phone is: 215-679-7563
267-497-0267
email: TKJ@shoutforjoy.net
Thank you. May the Lord bless you as you bless the poor in
Jesus' Name. Have a great summer!
Peace,
Cranford Joseph Coulter
© 2005 The King's Jubilee
