big weekend

another fun and full weekend here in lexington.  the annual roots and heritage festival bought hundreds of people to our neighborhood and around our home which is firmly planted at the heart of the action.  here are a few pics of the festivities...more at our flickr page.

taken in our driveway..sherry talks with her friend, Judge.

sherry and isaac explore the street market with Mrs R.

great band warming up before the parade.

our neighbors turned their front yard into a marketplace.

isaac, maggie, and seth take in the parade

our house is perched in the middle of this reflection (this marching band tuba has a wider angle of vision than my camera lens)

our driveway..sherry is eagerly twittering the event for her work.

labor day

on the labor day holiday (monday) we went out to our favorite orchard to pick up some of the early ripening apple varieties.  sean and seth gladding came with us.  it was overcast when we arrived and soon after there was a torrential downpour.  the boys and i stayed on the porch while sherry and sean braved the wet to finish out the fruit picking.  the afternoon was very relaxed back at home....some lego construction, yahtzee, reading, and a movie to finish of the evening.  all in all a very satisfactory celebration of work via rest.

 

placed people

we have been working on this project for almost two years now and we finally have a web site that describes 'placed people: a school for missional formation.'

(check out the website for more information.)

it is our attempt at creating a space in our work for mentoring those interested in learning more about what it means to engage in God's mission of love and justice.  this work has been an integral part of the life of communality for over ten years and this project represents a formalization of sorts.

over the summer we were delighted to mentor a student from Wheaton and a student from Asbury Theological Seminary in environmental stewardship and refugee resettlement respectively.  we appreciate your prayers (and advice) as we move forward  in this work.

magical evening

on friday night we enjoyed a remarkable event at duncan park.  it was the first of a series of concerts staged in the park to build community and celebrate the way music brings people together across race, age, and socioeconomic barriers.  much hard work has gone into the fruit of friday night and the 'stage one' initiative.  under the enthusiasm and leadership of Marty Clifford and alongside the partnership of neighborhood associations, city officials and east end/north side neighborhood residents this project is a sign of the goodness that can come when people work together for common good.

it was a special joy to revel in the tunes of Tee Dee+band with so many of our neighbors and communality peeps.  here are some pics that tell the story.