Home  Lagniappe Articles Crazy Hope in the Crescent City
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Crazy Hope in the Crescent City |
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Page 1 of 2 Crazy Hope in the Crescent City
by Sarah Stutz
My alarm went off at 5:00 am on January 6, which was
only the first thing that was unusual about that day.
After weeks of explaining my plans to roommates,
family, friends and the clerk at CVS who sold me
travel-size shampoo, the day was finally here—and I
was nervous. By 5:30 am I was walking out of my door
to join a group of Trinity Fellows and a group of RUF
students from UVA to spend a week partnering with
Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New Orleans in their
work of loving and serving their city.
Comfortable homes and families, vacation and work time
were traded for air mattresses, one shower each for
men and women, and hard manual labor that involved
occasional meetings with cockroaches and rats. What we
set out to do was to participate in the difficult yet
beautiful work of the kingdom.
As we walked up to the church on Sunday morning, a
jazzy version of “Amazing Grace” floated through the
windows out into the street. When Pastor Ray Cannata
told us to “stand up and greet your neighbor,” I
expected a couple of awkward handshakes. Instead we
spent ten minutes being hugged and welcomed like we
were at a family reunion. During the sermon, Pastor
Ray spoke with love in his voice about the craziness
of New Orleans and all the beauty that could be found
in the people there, and I wondered at his deep
devotion to a place that even the secular media calls
“sinful.” I later learned that Pastor Ray and his
family had moved to New Orleans after Katrina, excited
about the “adventure” of loving a city that was being
rebuilt amidst the ruins.
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Events
EVERY WEEK: Worship: Sunday's @ 10am @ 6200 St. Charles Ave. Community Groups: Tues. 7:30pm @ Moffats, 1310 Short St. Tues. 7:30pm @ Cannatas, 737 Henry Clay Ave. Weds. 7:30pm @ McMullans, 4605 Carondolet St. Women's Bible Study: Thursday's @ 9:30am-11:30am @ the church (6200 St. Charles Ave.) Childcare is provided! Any questions contact Kim Gibson:
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THIS WEEK:
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