Our church is reengaging after the solitude of the pandemic.  Come and see.

One of the exercises the Council participated in during their recent Leadership Retreat was to think about where they saw Greenbelt Community Church in the biblical narrative.  They had four situations to consider:  The sending of the Twelve, the early church in the book of Acts, the story of Mary and Martha, and the story of the Good Samaritan.  Overwhelmingly the group saw themselves in the part of those stories where people were helping others and were extending hospitality.  The group enthusiastically told of the commitment of Greenbelt Community Church to help others, both by financial donations and by physical labor.

When the group was talking about the story of Mary and Martha it was the consensus there were a lot of “Marthas” at GCC.  A couple voiced a desire that there be more “Mary” time.  I agree, there needs to be a balance between hearing and doing, meditation and action.

However, I also think we need to remember the “Mary” time that is already available.  I define “Mary” time as time of learning what Jesus taught and learning about God’s will for us to be light in a world that can feel very dark.  It is a time to worship and pray.  It is a time to sing praises to God.  It is a time to nourish ourselves spiritually.  Here are some “Mary” times available at Greenbelt Community Church.

1. Greenbelt Community Church is in worship every Sunday morning at 10:15am, in-person and on-line.  This summer the sermons have focused on being Christ’s disciples in the 21^st century.
2. Our choir is open to those who want to participate.  They meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm to practice, and they participate in the worship service on Sunday mornings from September through May.
3. There is a Lectionary Bible Zoom Study open to whomever is interested on Tuesday mornings at 9:00 AM with the pastor.  The Zoom link can be received through the church office.
4. There is a prayer list included in each week’s bulletin, inviting individuals to pray for one another.
5. This fall there will be a book study based on Joy Harjo’s book “Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, Poems”.  More details in next week’s column.
6. Seasonally (Advent, Lent, Eastertide) we offer special services and special emphasis on our spiritual journey.

Greenbelt Community Church has “Martha” time and “Mary” time, and we are always looking for opportunities to add more.  Our church is reengaging after the solitude of the pandemic.  Come and see.

Rev. Clara