An Ode to Joy

An Ode to Joy

“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above.”

The morning at Manna House started warm and sunny.  But since it has been so chilly most mornings, the backyard was closed.  The front yard and house filled quickly with the hundred or so guests who were present when we opened.  To ease the wait for coffee, we opened a second “coffee line” so there were two volunteers serving guests from two different coffee pots.
            “Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!”

Our prayer at opening was short and to the point.  We thanked God for the warmer weather, for the sun, and for the gift of being alive.  We asked God to help us all to be patient with each other in the crowded space.  And then the great call and response of Manna House took place to end our prayer as it does every morning:

“God please bless the coffee”

            “Make it hot.”

            “God please bless the sugar.”

            “Make it sweet.”

            “And God please bless the creamer.”

            “May it take all life’s bitterness away.”

“All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise.”

Seventy-five guests were on the socks and hygiene list before 8:30a.m.  We usually take only fifty-one names, but we guarantee a spot for all who show up before 8:30a.m.  The shower list was full with twenty-five names taken on Tuesday.  Kathleen squeezed in a few alternates.  Before we opened we took names for Room in the Inn.  All the slots available on each night were taken.  No one complained.  No one argued.  The angels who were visiting us this morning (see Genesis 18 and Hebrews 13:2) know that we’re doing the best we can.
“Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in Thee.”

There was a lot of talk about the weather.  Cold weather is supposed to return this weekend.  But we were all living in the morning’s weather in which the sun was warm, and the sky was blue.  We saw a rocket launched from the charter school parking lot next door.  It flashed and sang and then crashed.  “Birds sure fly better” said one guest.

“Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.”

            A man came into the yard and threatened a guest with violence.  I wedged myself between them and told the man to leave.  Eventually he did after repeated threats of violence made to me and the guest.  After he left, another guest told me, “I had your back” and then he tapped on his chest pocket, “I have some dog mace in here.  If he had touched you he was gonna get a face full of mace.”  Our guests aren’t quite as committed to nonviolence as we try to be, but I still appreciated what Lewis said.

“Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.”

             A guest who is rarely coherent arrived with torn and ill fitting pants, and his shoes were in tatters.  We got him pants and shoes, even though he wasn’t on the shower list, and even though we were all feeling overwhelmed with the amount of need we were trying to meet this morning.  As he walked away happy with his clean pants and shoes that didn’t hurt his feet, his smile of thanks was of God.

“Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward, In the triumph song of life.”

            It was a typical joyous morning at Manna House.