Practicing God ‘s Mercy & Gospel Resistance Vol. 3 No.

2 Lent 2009

Cherith Brook
Looking Inward by Laura Cornett

In the bathroom mirror, I saw big blue and started to chat with the other volunteers.
eyes staring back at me with bubbling tears, I sat by watching, absorbed in my thoughts. So Elijah did according to the word of the
the beginnings of wrinkles, and crazy curly, There was something about this woman, I Lord; he went and lived by the Cherith
brown hair. I poked, probed, and stretched was captivated by her. Her essence carried Brook...and the ravens brought him bread…
my skin, trying to manipulate my tear a light. I thought she was beautiful, why is I Kings 17
stained face. I did this assuming it would she homeless? will that we love others; without love
sidetrack my mind from the pain I felt in “Where do you go to church,” she asked, nothing else matters. You are an en-
my chest. bringing me out of my thoughts. abler, take my Bible. Open it right now,
Abruptly, I stopped, a thought crossed “I don’t go to church.” I answered. ask God what you need, right now
my mind. Why have I become this
and open it.”
person?
I did, not knowing a message
After some introspection, the an-
was waiting. I flipped to John, chap-
swer is an easy one. Only moments
ter 8, Women Who Followed Jesus.
before the bathroom pity party, I had
She gave me her lifeline. She gave
argued with a man with whom I share a
me her Bible.
beautiful child. He is an alcoholic;
“I think this will help me,” I
Something I have known, but didn’t
said, giving her a hug. “Thank you.
want to admit because then I would be
You are truly a beautiful woman.”
responsible for the hurt I try to hide
“Thank you and you have
from the mirror. But all secrets of
helped me,” she said with tears in
shame were about to be exposed by an
her eyes.
unexpected person.
The story in John 8 is about a
Two days after shoving my feelings Laura works out some of the kinks for one of our friends.
sinful woman who washed Jesus’
down deep inside me, telling myself I
feet with her tears and anointed
would get to them someday, I was hurrying “How do you meet with Jesus?” she them with oil. The Pharisee told Jesus
to the door of Cherith Brook’s shower room asked me.
he could not be the son of God if he let a
with my massage stuff. A warm, sweet Thrown off by this question, I sat down sinful beast touch him and Jesus replied,
breeze was blowing a petite woman’s sandy across from her and said, “I write.”
“I tell you, her sins-and they are many-
brown hair across her gentle looking face. She looked at me, her soft blue eyes have been forgiven, so she has shown
The woman sat in the sun, basking in its piercing through. I knew she saw me. She me much love. But a person who is for-
rays, reading her Bible. She wore a pastel saw me beyond the image in the mirror. given little shows only little love.”
pink blouse, a pair of light colored blue We started talking. She shared with me The woman from outside was the
jeans, and clean, white tennis shoes. about how her life was destroyed by crack mirror I needed to see Christ’s love
As I was bustling along trying not to cocaine and her husband was in prison. within me and to stop hiding from my
drop anything, she looked up at me with Then she looked at me again with her own fears.
soft blues eyes. piercing stare.
I look into the mirror now, as a
“Good Morning,” she said with a direct “I have been clean for a couple of
tone of confidence. “Is that an instrument?” months and I could not have done it without woman who follows Christ and I know I
“No,” I said. “It is a massage chair.” Christ’s love,” she said. “I know that only am not defined by my sins or others. I
I remember wondering, was she a volun- through him I can be healed. What is your know the Holy Spirit washes me clean.
teer for the women’s day or was she home- story?” Like the ones who have hurt me, I was
less.? I couldn’t tell. The first thing to pop into my mind was also created from the love of Jesus. I
A small space in the back corner of the my question, how have I become this per- have forgiven, I am forgiven, and I am
store front was the massage oasis. I sat up son? I told her about my daughter’s father
washed clean.
my massage chair, waiting for the women and how I am angry at him, because of his
guests to arrive. The small woman from addiction.
outside came in and was excited about “And what is your part,” she asked me. Laura Cornett is a student at Park Univer-
getting her hair cut. She sat down to eat “Did you try to change him? It is God’s sity. She offers massages on Women’s Day.
 PAGE 2
Jesus Was Hungry
As we enter this season of Lent, I am
newly struck by the reading of Matthew
4:1-11. In this passage Jesus entered the
desert willingly, knowingly. He knew he
was going to be tempted by the devil. He
was going to be tempted, the Spirit of
God led him there. It was time without
food. It was a time of solitude and
prayer for Jesus. This was a time of
preparation for the sacrifice at hand.
When we participate in a Lenten fast,
we do so willingly. We do so for a spe-
cific time, fully aware of an ending time.
We enter in to a time of going “without”
with the luxury of knowing we will soon
go “with.” We enter hoping and praying
that the space created would be used by
God for change. When I read this pas-
sage this season, I was caught by the
phrase ‘Jesus was hungry.’ Everyday we
offer showers to folks who are homeless
or near homeless and we encounter Jesus
who is hungry – maybe tired and dis-
couraged – but definitely hungry. It
seems odd to go without voluntarily
when so many of our friends go without
on a regular basis. Some go without ba-
sic provision of food, clothing, shelter,
adequate healthcare, living wage (or no
wage), respect and dignity. It reminds
Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
Rock Out & Reach Out … 4/18, bene-
fit concert to promote justice & sustain-
ability at Crosstown Station, 15th &
McGee KCMO, doors open at 8pm.
Midwest Catholic Worker Retreat
… 4/24-27, in Stockton, Illinois.
Chalk Walk … 4/25-26, Concourse
Park, Historic Northeast KCMO.
Women’s Day … 4/29, 11:30am.
What special talent will you offer?
Holy Family Art & Talent Night
… 5/1, Holy Family House, 912 East
31st Street KCMO, 7pm.
(Please contact Cherith Brook for more
details on any of these events.)
me of a Peter Maurin quote about try-
ing to create space where it’s easier
for people to be good. It’s hard to “do
good” if you are struggling for sur-
vival. It’s hard to make good choices
when basic needs aren’t met. Jesus
was more vulnerable because he was
hungry, more susceptible because he
understood the pangs of hunger. Be-
ing tempted with the satisfaction that
food would bring or gratification
power would supply would have dif-
ferent meaning if Jesus hadn’t been
hungry. Our homeless friends know
what it’s like to be vulnerable and
susceptible and go without. We are all
faced with daily decisions but people
who go without food, clothing and
shelter are forced to make decisions
that may compromise or call into
question the meaning of “good”.
A time set aside for prayer and
fasting deepens our faith and helps us
remember from whom our “bread”,
our sustenance comes. To go without
helps us appreciate when we go with.
To go without causes us to take pause
from the expectation and thoughtless-
ness of consumerism. To go without
helps us to reorient our minds and our
We are so thankful for volunteers, like
Sue Heller & Nicole Browning, who
provide meals, help in the clothing
closet, and with showers.
by Jodi Garbison
bodies. We are a needy, captive audi-
ence to hear what God is saying or
teaching us. To go without causes us
to think about our pursuits and hope-
fully, retrains us to temper our desires
for instant gratification. It reminds us
that we are sustained by more than
that which feels good or numbs out,
but by that which God sees as good,
as life-giving – physically AND spiri-
tually.
My prayer this Lenten season is
for all to have basic needs met, for
space to be made in our hearts for
God to transform our minds, and for
all to have not only enough but a little
extra to share in order that we might
not be vulnerable and susceptible but
“good.”
Jodi Garbison and her daughter, Diana,
building bird houses together.
Join Our Extended
Community
cook meals, sort donations,
host showers, cut hair,
launder clothing, garden,
electrical work, simple carpentry,
assemble sack dinners,
redo kitchen cabinets,
mail newsletter, clean house,
general maintenance, fencing,
tuck pointing, trim work,
& more...
 PAGE 3

How Can She Sing? Happy 1st

by Chris Brennan Homiak Birthday!

how can she sing?

the city is threatening to condemn her house,
the house she has pieced together from scraps
and lived in for the last ten years.
how can she sing?
they are without papers in a foreign land.
how can she sing?
she cannot afford medicine for her son’s epilepsy,
nor technology to help him hear all he cannot see.
she has no husband nor children who can work.
how can she sing?
last week their telephone service was cut off. Our friend Marah celebrates her 1st Birthday,
how can she sing? surrounded by family & friends!
the immigration judge in texas is asking
to see the woman who cut the umbilical cord
over twenty years ago House Needs
to prove the son was born an American.
how can she sing?
Sandwich Meat (no bologna)
the powerful remain in their thrones,
the rich remain full, Sandwich Bags
and so often she is sent away empty. Mayonnaise
how can she sing? Sliced Cheese
despairing, she shared:
Peanut Butter & Jelly
“Si tengo café, no tengo azucar.
Si tengo azucar, no tengo café!”
Bananas & Oranges
how can she sing? Coffee, Sugar, Creamer
her favorite (and most financially helpful) Vinegar (gallon size for cleaning)
social worker is moving away.
Baking Soda
how can she sing?
again and again,
Dish & Laundry Soap
(high efficiency)
she says “esperamos”:
we are waiting, we are hoping. Toilet Paper
how can she sing? Milk, Eggs, Butter
when I greet her, “Como esta?”
Black Beans & Brown Rice
she always replies, “Bien, gracias a Dios!”
how can she sing? Canning Jars
in the middle of a meeting about their future (for summer produce)
seemingly barren of hope, Summer Clothing
she breaks into song,
Gardening Tools
raises her hands,
and sings of her trust in God.
Wood Scraps
 PAGE 4
Christ Always Has A Room
~ Reflections on Opening Our Home to Persons without Homes ~
(Note: To protect privacy, we did not
use actual names of any person de-
picted in this story.)
Don was sleeping (if you want to call
it that) on the front porch of the Holy
Family Catholic Worker House in Kan-
sas City, MO in the middle of winter.
Mike, a man who worshipped with us
at Sunday liturgy, was living in an
abandoned apartment building with no
heat or water. John was on the verge of
having to live in his car. Vernon, a vet-
eran addicted to crack, was living on
the street. Alan lived in a hotel for the
first week of each month, then moved
to the street until he got his next
monthly disability check. Arthur lived
in a church shelter.
What do all these men have in com-
mon? They all left their makeshift
dwellings and lived in an open room in
our home --- some for just a few
months, others for more than a year or
two.
Roll the tape back to November of
2004. When my spouse, Donna, and I
were looking to buy a home in Kansas
City, KS we decided to take the follow-
ing words of Dorothy Day seriously:
“… every home should have a Christ
room in it, so that hospitality may be
practiced. The coat that hangs in the
closet belongs to the poor. If your
brother or sister is hungry, it is your
responsibility.” In her writings Dorothy
routinely referred to the fact that her
different hosts in the cities that she
visited harbored Christ rooms.
Dorothy believed that putting all the
responsibility of caring for the poor
into the hands of government allowed
Christians to shirk their responsibility
to the poor and to gospel values. The
bureaucratization of poverty deperson-
alized it and pushed it away. Dorothy
envisioned a society where a majority
of Christians harbored a Christ room in
their home and where homelessness
by Charles Carney
was simply non-existent. chose to leave our home when we tried
We have no set rules in our home, to talk to him about his drug addiction.
except no drinking or drugs. Everyone But just the other day I ran into him at
in our community brings what they can. the Veteran‘s Administration. He has
Some have provided food. Others have been clean and sober now for months
brought their considerable fix-it skills and has found meaningful work at the
V.A. He will be moving into his own
to save us from huge plumbing and
carpentry bills, while others have used apartment in a week. He was very
warm and friendly to me. Mike stayed
the sweat of their brow to keep our
yard looking presentable. Some have out of trouble from the law but was
eventually arrested on an old warrant
cooked tasty meals, while others have
taken their skills into the community to and went back to prison. But we stay in
serve at drop-in centers and overnight- touch with him and we intend to help
shelters. We only ask each person to do him re-integrate into the community
what God has put before them. If that upon his release in July of 2010. He
says that we were “the only real fam-
means they must spend a good part of
their time going to outpatient rehab ily” he ever had. Arthur has gone from
classes and attending 12 step meetings, volunteer to a paid employee at the
then so be it. But in the spirit of the drop-in center and plans to rent his own
Catholic Worker, it is important to note place soon.
that no one “owes us” anything. The After four years, I find myself getting
gift that they bring to our home is away from the fear based questions and
themselves. instead marveling at the richness of
having lived in community with these
When making this decision to open
Christ rooms, I had great trepidation. men who I can now call “brother.”
Have there been blow-ups and stresses
What happens if it doesn’t work out?
Will we be safe? Will we be drained of and conflicts? The answer of course is
our energy and emotion? Will we burn yes, but not any more than in any other
out? Will it detract from our quality community I’ve lived in.
time as a couple and from our overall I have dropped many of the stereo-
relationship? types I have held about homeless peo-
ple. Instead, in the messiness of com-
We have seen the vision of Dorothy
Day (whose picture hangs in our dining munity, I have been forced to confront
my own dysfunction. Most importantly,
room) at work in our home. I know, as
a social worker that when persons with I’ve been challenged to a more radical
acceptance of myself and others.
severe mental illness find housing, they
have a 50 % greater chance of recovery Slowly, I learn about the “gentle per-
sonalism” that Dorothy talked about.
from their illness. Duh! It isn‘t rocket
science that when people have a safe,
loving place, they feel better. Dorothy “And since it all depends on each
Day knew all too well the healing
one of us (not the government), that
power of loving community. means we must try to have a Christ
While there are no fairy tale endings, Room in our homes where we can shel-
Dorothy‘s vision has transpired. We ter others.” -- Dorothy Day
remain friends with most of our former “Open your homes to the homeless
community members. Mike and John poor.” -- Acts of the Apostles
found income-based housing in the
community and both still come back to Charles Carney & his wife, Donna, are
our place for Holiday meals. Vernon long time friends of Cherith Brook.

Learning Trust
Great news: we have finalized our
Trust! You will soon find it on our
BlogSpot. It states as our purpose, “to
support a residential Christian community
of hospitality, nonviolent peacemaking and
discipleship and to… provide a location…
for the community to incarnate this com-
mon mission of Christian discipleship,
servant hood and resistance and provide
sanctuary to the marginalized, the
oppressed, the poor and suffering.”
This means the bank account,
two community vehicles and
eventually both buildings will be
owned by the Trust, not any indi-
vidual. We have simply formal-
ized what we have been practicing
these past few years.
Why a Trust? In Acts, Luke
the evangelist reports of early
Christians that they “were to-
gether and had all things in com-
mon.” Our Trust is an expression
of learning through common liv-
ing the radical and transforming
nature of the gospel. Not an easy
lesson for sure in an individualistic soci-
ety.
Luke also reports that these followers
“would sell their possessions and distrib- dependent on our showers and clean
ute the proceeds-to all, as any had need.” clothes, by offering yourself to others you
This Trust expresses our belief that fol-
lowing Christ is a call to live at a personal cause you have been true to yours.
sacrifice. When we do so, God provides
for the needs of all and reverses inequali-
ties in our world.
Many of you have participated in this
process in a variety of ways—prayer,
advice, time, financial giving. Several of
you have given us gifts and small no
interest loans for the storefront totaling
$61K. We are still in need of $15K in
order to pay off the lender. Then the
building can be deeded to the Trust.
Please call us if you are interested in
lending us some portion of what remains,
interest free.
This was also a decision against regis- ized, the broken. It will also go toward
tering as a nonprofit. As we studied,
debated and prayed about becoming a
501c(3), the questions began to change
for us: Are there Biblical reasons we
should become nonprofit? Why has the
church become so dependent on this sys- two cannot be separated. Our daily failures Bird Feeders, Baths & Houses
tem? How does it affect her message,
ministry, witness, commitments? These
questions we offer back to you.
PAGE 5
by Eric Garbison
Dorothy Day once wrote, “Christ and "instruments of Justice," that in Christ
commanded His followers to perform what we have been called to walk in newness of
Christians have come to call the Works of life. Resurrection living comes after bap-
Mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to tism, our first and most important death.
the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering A recent quote I heard sums it up nicely,
the homeless, visiting the sick and prisoner, "Saints are the sinners who go on trying."
and burying the dead. Surely a simple pro- Thanks again for your support.
gram for direct action, and one enjoined on Those of us who live here do not get an
all of us.” It is that simple. income. We work outside the community
to provide for our per-
sonal needs. We depend
on your personal sacri-
fices to help us. What
we are given, we try to
give away freely to those
in need.
Those of you who
have given money, cloth-
ing, food, work, skills,
time, welcome and joy,
have also taken some-
thing with you when you
left: a word of blessing, a
powerful conversation, a
prayer, a moment of
A recent Monday Night Community Meal at the house.
clarity, more joy. God
has a way of blurring the lines between
We believe every shower signals giver and receiver. So we thank all of you
the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit who have freely offered up these many
and baptismal waters. Even if you are not gifts for others.
also walk away refreshed by baptism, be-
Our decision is also a clear re-
fusal to participate in the Military Indus-
trial Complex that requires our money to
pay for war and its preparation. It has been
said that “Wars will cease when we refuse
to pay for them.” Some of you have said
being tax deductible helps you defer to
charity monies that would otherwise go to
war. We have not taken away that choice
from you. We just won’t wrap it up in a
system approved by the war makers them-
selves.
The money given here will go to
daily welcoming the stranger, the marginal-
Henri, Eric & Diana Garbison recently
participating today in God’s future peace-
constructed the birdhouse pictured above.
able reign by training people that the fool-
Our Garden Needs:
ishness of cross-bearing is more powerful
than “wisdom” of bearing arms. Any act of
violence is a rejection of hospitality, the
remind us that only God can be so impar-
tial. Yet in Romans 6, Paul reminds us that Shovels, Trowels & Hoes
Baptismal living means we are "servants" Seeds, Plants, Bulbs, Etc.
 PAGE 6
My Resignation Letter
Over the past few months, I’ve grown workers are being exploited, more of
more and more weary of many things
I’ve grown up being surrounded by.
After a few certain events transpired
today I have decided to take action. I
hereby am officially resigning from the poor’s backyard. No longer are we con-
following things.
I am officially resigning from hate.
Relationships gone awry, people killing latest and greatest gadget which steal
people, and people practicing domina-
tion through that double edged sword
known as the tongue. These are the
things that surround us. We live and
practice these things and these
things are no good. In the begin-
ning, God chose to make man and
woman in God's image. That
means we ALL bear that image
(regardless of whether or not
we've come running into Jesus'
arms). By destroying one another,
whether it be through verbal or
physical means, we are severely
tainting that image. In turn it has
tarnished our image of God. If we
were all to encourage, support,
live, laugh, cry, and lay down our
lives for one another just think of
how much more clear our picture
of God would be. What is even
more beautiful is that God gives
us glimpses of what it would look
like if/when we all practice that
profound sacrificial love Jesus
displayed for us. In God's king-
dom war will be studied no more,
poverty will be eliminated, the
tears and pain of this present life
will be wiped away, and we will
live together as brothers and sisters--no from time to time, not always within a
one dominating another. Instead, we
will all submit to one another readily
and will be participants in the sharing
of the most profound love imagin-
able....the love of a good God who is
overjoyed that God’s children have
finally come home.
I am officially resigning from con-
sumption (which has become synony-
mous with the American Dream). I
have begun to see that our collective
pursuit of "more" has taken its toll on
our world. Greed has taken over.
Goods are becoming cheaper, more
the earth is being raped of resources,
more is being hoarded, more are going
to bed starving, more is being thrown
away, and more is being dumped in the
tent with the natural beauty of the
world as our television, we want the
us away from the things that have last-
ing beauty--God's good creation. We
are meant to be together for real, not
just online. We are meant to be alone
Henri Garbison & Nick Pickrell lead music at
worship during our winter retreat at a farm in
Harrisonville.
cell phone's reach. We are meant be
irrevocably linked to the least of these,
not leaving empty rooms while others
sleep on the streets. We are meant to
live in the present, not thinking two
appointments ahead.
What we really need is to get back to
the practice of contentment and simple
joy. Play ball with someone, draw on
sidewalks, jump rope, hug your par-
ents, climb trees, and swim in lakes.
Eat as a family and cherish the mo-
ments you get to spend with them, then
thank God for the time you were able
by Nick Pickrell
to spend with them after they have
passed on. Be at peace and then ex-
hume it to all you meet.
I am officially resigning from my
own pursuits. Too long have I bought
into the idea that I need to get ahead in
this world. It stands contrary to every-
thing Jesus lived. Growing up in a cul-
ture that promotes overtime, busyness,
and individualism (do this and rise
above your neighbor) has taken its toll
on me. The allure of money and fame is
strong, but the cost required to
achieve those is great. Relationships
move from genuine to strategic, good
intentions turn into manipulation,
and contentment gives way to an
unquenchable drive. I always keep
coming back to Jesus, who did not
consider equality with God some-
thing to grasped, and so humbled
himself and became a servant. He
served and God exalted him. He
brought many different people to-
gether and left behind an incredible
family that is inclusive--crossing
socioeconomic, ethnic, and gender
lines. I have felt led little by little
towards living life of solidarity with
the poor because there is a unique
opportunity to experience God in that
place. God's heart throughout the
scripture has been with the poor and
oppressed and if our salvation is to
be worked out together, then we get
the privilege of being liberated to-
gether as well--from addiction, op-
pression, and poverty.
I am officially resigning from intel-
lectualism. The pursuit of knowledge
and truth is healthy, but can be easily
perverted. Too quickly debates become
heated. Too quickly we pounce on one
another in an effort to prove we are
right. Too quickly we assemble to dis-
cuss lofty concepts without any intent
of action. History has proven that the
privileged class in any given society
usually ends up hoarding knowledge
(see Letter, continued on page 9)
Nick Pickrell is one of Cherith Brook’s
newest Community Members.
 House Notes
by Sarah Cool
As I write this, we are entering the Season of
Lent. Typically, as most of us are aware, the Sea-
son of Lent is a time of looking back on previous
actions and contemplating ways to make right
those things we may not have done in the most
Christ-like manner. The 40 day period of time
before Easter, the resurrection of our Christ, gives
pause to reflect and renew our resolve to become
better followers of His mandates. Some may
choose to rededicate themselves to being even
more faithful servants, as they have always in-
tended to be.
I also see this as a time of renewal and an-
ticipation here at Cherith Brook. We are doing
just that in many ways. Quite visibly, we are pre-
paring our gardens, in anticipation of a bigger and
better growing season than we had last year. In
hopes of feeding our friends from the neighbor-
hood more nutritious meals, we calculate what
will be planted where, how much, and when. We
each choose a plot to oversee, a certain task to
manage, a way to include folks who want to help
us with the planting, the tending, and the eventual
joy of harvest. We’ve looked back on what we
did well last year, and what we can improve on
this year. We’re following God’s mandate in this
way by taking better care of the land God’s given
for us, and for the provisions God’s allowing us
to co-create with God.
In the coming weeks, during our Agenda
Meetings, community members will physically
walk through and around all of our spaces in an
attempt to re-vision what God intends for our
work here at Cherith Brook. This is another way
we are using the Season of Lent as a time of re-
newal. Our morning showers and meals, a con-
crete renewal of sorts for our friends, available to
folks four days a week, have grown over time so
that we’re nearly always at capacity. In the time
allotted, we can usually offer about 20 showers
and generally feed as many as present themselves
each morning, sometimes 40 or 50 folks alto-
gether. The same is true for our Thursday night
meals, which have reached as many as 60 in re-
cent weeks. We’ve also begun handing out sack
dinners and toiletries on the streets on Friday af-
ternoons again. We easily gave away over 30
dinners in less than an hour this past week. So as
you can imagine, our time, space and resources
are stretched, but not too thin; just stretched. And
so, we plan a re-visioning walk to discover what
God has in store next for Cherith Brook.
Speaking of community members, you may
have heard that we accepted a couple of Interns
PAGE 7
several months ago, during the winter months.
These two late twenty-somethings came to us
with the idea of learning from Cherith Brook
Shower Needs
for a few months and then venturing out on
their own, to start their own house of hospital- Men’s Jeans
ity somewhere else in the city. It appears that, (esp. size 32-36)
for the moment anyway, God had other plans
for Nick Pickrell and Micah Waters, as they
T-Shirts
have now committed to Cherith Brook for at Underwear
least a full year. They are not only learning (esp. size 32-38)
from us, we are learning from them. Nick’s
sense of humor is infectious. Micah’s calm Women’s panties
insightful words are always welcomed. Their (esp. 4-7)
energetic circle of friends have now become
our friends too. It is a joy to see them all in Shampoo &
action in the showers, on the street, during
Conditioner
prayers, and playing with our children in the
community. God has richly blessed us through (large bottles)
Nick’s and Micah’s presence, renewing our
Razors
energy and commitments in many ways.
Deodorant
As it happens, this year Lent begins on Feb-
ruary 25. How coincidental, or not, is it that we Tube Socks
will also begin to offer a monthly Women’s
Day for our female friends in the neighborhood.
Foot Powder
Although still in the planning stages, we hope Shoes
to offer a variety of services that we believe
they may enjoy, and not have ready access to, Toothpaste & brushes
such as haircuts, manicures, pedicures, mas- Tampons
sages, a good meal surrounded by supportive
women, and more. That we begin this effort Ibuprofen
with the first day of Lent is providential, I
think.
And yet another way we continue to deepen our commitment to this
place and this community is that by May we will finally begin to live
our lives together by operating fully under a common purse model,
sharing ALL of our monetary resources with one another. Something
we’ve discussed and discerned for a long time is finally coming to frui-
tion. We have yet many details to work out, but we are all certain that
we feel absolutely called to this way of common life.
It truly feels that during this Season of Lent at Cherith Brook, many
things are being born anew: our garden, our spaces, a new day of ser-
vice specifically for women, and common purse living. We invite you
to participate with us in whatever aspect of our work to which God is
calling you. We hope that you’ll use this Season of Lent to re-view, re-
vision, re-commit yourself to the life God calls you to lead.
Early this year, Cherith Brook rejoiced
in the birth of our newest
extended community member,
Adeena Niamh Tabor Bila,
the beautiful granddaughter of
Community Member Steve Sheridan.
Steve plans a trip to visit Adeeena in
the near future, and will certainly have
more photos and lots of stories to
share!
PAGE 8

Through Our Lens

 PAGE 9

Letter, continued by Nick Pickrell Lessons by Becky Eis

(Letter, continued from page 6)
over those who are oppressed. People
end up getting abused and exploited,
usually without any means of defend-
ing themselves. Instead of hoarding,
why not share ALL we have--
possessions, knowledge, and time--with
one another. After all, love holds all the
commandments together...and how
loving is it to speak down to people or
pass laws that end up hurting the hun-
gry, the homeless, or the immigrant?
With all of that taken care of now,
here is a brief list of what I’d like to
define my life.
- to be someone who is present to each
person he meets
-to be someone who treats each rela-
tionship and moment as a cherished gift
from God
- to be someone who speaks life and
allows it to be spoken to me.
- to be someone who is devoted to the
kind of family God talks about in Gal.
3:28
- to be someone who is devoted to
tending to God's creation.
- to be someone who is deeply con-
nected with the poor and oppressed.
- to be someone who LIVES (fully) and
does this or that (emphasis on LIVES).
The unfortunate thing is that I am a
forgetful person. I get angry with peo-
ple. I get caught up in the busyness of
life. I question this calling God has put
on me. I have insecurities. So, in order
to continue down this long road that
leads to life I desperately need encour-
agement. We all do. It truly is a diffi-
cult thing to put our collective human-
ity before the individual. It is much
easier to veg out on the sofa and watch
what we want to watch, eat what we
want to eat, and do what we want to
do. The harder and more rewarding
thing is to get outside and learn to
"love those our instincts say reject."
Micah Waters, James Gillespie, & Nick
Pickrell having some fun during showers.
I have been volunteering regularly at
Cherith Brook on Monday mornings for
the last year, helping with the shower time.
In the beginning, I’ll admit I was pretty
intimidated, awkward, and yes, maybe a
little uncomfortable. I have learned so
much about the people at Cherith Brook –
both those who are a full-time part of the
community, and the special people we
serve. But most of all, I have learned
something about myself.
Over the past couple of years, I have
really been struggling to show love and
compassion to someone in my family who
struggles with addiction issues. My hus-
band and I tried to support him by giving
him a place to stay, giving him money,
food, etc., and we were rewarded with lies,
deceit, and a thankless attitude. I was
DONE with him. After spending some
time at Cherith Brook, I started asking my-
self: Why am I so willing to show love,
support and compassion to people I don’t
even know, when my heart is so hard to-
wards this person I have known for over 25
years? How can I see Christ all around at
Cherith Brook, but not see Christ in him?
When I am at Cherith Brook, I hope I am
reflecting the love of Jesus Christ to every-
one there, but I began to feel like a fraud!
Over the last couple of months, God has
softened my heart towards this person, and
my anger has subsided. I’ll admit it still
rises up at times, but I remind myself that

True Fasting
he is an addict, and that addictions can
by Sarah Cool really have a strong hold on people, and I
must love him and show him the same
compassion as I would a stranger.
I have always associated the fasting referred to during the Season of Lent with the
elimination of a bit of food for a short time. One might choose to avoid a particular Becky Eis is a faithful Monday shower volunteer
food which might normally craved, such as chocolate or coffee, for a period of 40 from Knox Presbyterian Church in Overland Park.
days.
However, as we’ve recently been studying at Cherith Brook in Isaiah 58, God actually has a very different sort of fasting in mind.
God mandates that true fasting is to stop taking advantage of employees, to stop bickering amongst ourselves, to stop fighting with
fists and weapons, to loose the chains of injustice, to untie the ropes that hold our enemies captive, to set the exploited free, to break
every restraint we hold against one another. God’s mandates include sharing food with the hungry, providing shelter to those who
have none, to clothe the naked. God commands that we quit pointing fingers and talking maliciously, to expend our time, resources
and energy on behalf of the hungry, and to satisfy the needs of the demoralized.
When we choose to follow God’s word, God promises that we will be like well-watered gardens, like springs whose waters never
fail, we will be called Repairers of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. He declares that we will find our joy in the
Lord, we will ride on the heights of the land! This is the sort of everyday true fasting that we strive to do at Cherith Brook. Come,
join us!
 Cherith Brook
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
3308 E. 12th St. KANSAS CITY MO
Kansas City, MO 64127
(816) 241-8047
cherithbrookkcmo@yahoo.com
www.cherithbrookkc.blogspot.com

Midwest Catholic
Worker Retreat
(4/24-4/27) will expose a private
military company, Blackwater,
that trains more than
40,000 people a year at tactical
training facilities, with its newest
near Mt. Carroll, Illinois.

Weekly Schedule Who are we?

2nd SUNDAY SARCRAMENT SUN 6:30 pm Community—Cherith Brook is a residential Christian
SHOWERS M, T, TH, F 8am-Noon community committed to sharing table fellowship with
strangers, and all our resources with one another. We
PRAYERS M, W, F 6:30am
have found our inspiration from the early church, the
COMMUNITY MEAL TH 5-7pm Church of the Savior, and the Catholic Worker.
FRIDAY NIGHT SHARING OR Mercy—Our daily lives are structured around practicing
GARDEN WORK FR 2-5pm the works of mercy as found in Jesus’ teachings. We
(Call for details: 816-241-8047) are committed to regularly feeding the hungry, clothing
the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the
stranger, visiting the prisoner and the sick in the name
Jesus said to her, of Jesus.
“I am the resurrection Peacemaking—As followers of Jesus, we understand our
lives to be centered in God’s Shalom. Cherith Brook
and the life. S/he who strives to be a “school” for peacemaking in all its di-
believes in me will mensions: political, communal, and personal, working
constantly to undo poverty, racism and militarism.
live, even though s/he
dies; and whoever lives These three orbs can be summed up as the struggle to
and believes in me will connect with the God of life. We pray that Cherith
Brook is a space where all of us—the broken—can
never die.” come to learn and relearn the ways of Jesus; a place to
John 11:25-26 struggle together for God’s call of love, mercy, peace
and justice.