Food for the Journey
May 20, 2021
Karen Sande, FLC Director of Music
My aunt, Phebe Dale Hanson, was a teacher and writer in the Twin Cities. I browsed through a small book of her poems recently, and one entitled To the Gloria Dei Women of the 90’s stood out to me. She quoted Florida Scott Maxwell: “Age puzzles me…my 70s were interesting and fairly serene, but my 80s are passionate…I grow more intense as I age…”
Phebe attended an early morning church women’s group, where most were in their 70s and 80s. They met to drink coffee, eat Swedish cardamom bread, and share their passions: Mavis attended a hearing about ending food stamps to legal immigrants, Myrtle and Helga reported on their Spanish language studies and trip to Guatemala, Linnea urged them to join the food shelf committee, Arlene recruited workers for the Dorothy Day center, Verna solicited donations for “Adopt-a-Family,” and finally, Doris made a motion to keep up with the times and change the group name to Gloria Dei Women of the 2000’s.
We can learn from these passionate elders, as we respond to the changing needs of our community! After a year of relative solitude and dormancy, we are ready to spring forth like daffodils. In the works at FLC are: a community garden, neighbor meal ministry, caring for our world in eco-friendly ways, and many other local and global ministries.
Gracious Spirit, heed our pleading, fashion us all anew.
It’s your leading that we’re needing, help us to follow you.
Come, come, come, Holy Spirit, come.