Gardening for God

Helping those that are less fortunate has always been a mission of the church. St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Washington has found a new way to do that and help mentally challenged adults at the same time. Parishioner Ann Elsbree organized a vegetable garden that was planted, and is tended by, the church's parishioners. After the vegetables are harvested they are donated to St. Luke's House, a home for the mentally challenged that was founded by the Parish 30 years ago.

Since the beginning, one of the aims of religion has been to bring people together in times of need. This story shows that that can be accomplished in less traditional ways. The church could always take donations and purchase produce to give to St. Luke's House for cooking classes. The garden allows the church to make the donation using less of its financial resources. By doing this, St. Luke's has been able to continue donating to local food banks while still supporting the home.

Churches should take a cue from St. Luke's and undertake more projects that help to build the parish's sense of community. In my experience it seems that the church going experience has been boiled down to fulfilling an obligation instead of enriching spiritual lives. The typical churchgoer is at mass on Sunday, donates, shakes hands with the priest on the way out the door and then forgets about it until the next Sunday. Projects that bring the parish community together can do more for the people of that community than attending a weekly mass ever could.
St. Luke's has set the precedent, so why don't more parishes take up the call? I see a need for more community building projects and more community minded church leaders. During a time of need is the best possible time to bring people together as a parish and achieve something that will enrich the lives of not only the recipients of the goodwill but also those that make the giving possible.

Resources
Potter, Deborah, "Church Garden", Religion and Ethics Newsweekly