Greetings!

Friday Contemplation: Find your part! Each piece of the above wall/mosaic makes up the whole. The Apostle Paul (aka Saul) flushes this "every part matters" idea out in a few of his letters. He calls it the Body of Christ. It's likely that Paul's understanding developed over time. But some believe that the Body of Christ was formulated on the road to Damascus. Jesus had been dead for years; and Paul is jailing and killing those early Jesus followers called People of the Way. And then, this happens. Jesus is long gone but the voice he hears says that Paul is persecuting "Jesus." How can that be. While I won't totally unpack it here, if you're interested, ask me about it. It's profoundly simple and complicated.

Short version: You are an integral component of The Portico's spiritual community (aka the Body of Christ, the church). We all have different experiences, gifts, talents--but each is vital to our community's living out and fulfilling our mission to Make God's Love Real through Conversation, Connection and Community Change. So, the call is to find your place in the mosaic/wall as we grow our emerging Spiritual Community.

FIND YOUR PIECE AT THE GATHERING: We are in the planning stages of gathering on Sundays weekly and are identifying people to serve at least 1x/month in one of the following areas: SERVE @ The Gathering
  • Hospitality
  • Sound/Tech
  • Children's
  • Music
  • Community Meal

Theresa of Avila, the great Christian Mystic described Paul's concept like this...

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

That's what Paul meant. You are a piece. Participate in the body. That's how we make God's Love Real. We are Jesus in the world.

You are Loved. Find your piece.

Justin

p.s. Habitat Build: We haven't landed on the big day for Mindi's house yet, and hope to announce it soon. We will have our regularly scheduled 2nd Friday of April. Sign up here.

p.p.s. Get the word out about The Portico Cafe's Board Room. It's perfect for meetings and a vital revenue source for our social enterprise. Contact Mindi for details.
--
The Rev. Justin LaRosa, LCSW
Director & Minister, The Portico
O: 813.222.2299 | M: 813.444.2941
1001 N. Florida Ave.,
Tampa, FL 33602
Conversation. Connection. Community Change.
Websites for The Portico and The Portico Cafe.
The Portico includes a neighborhood cafe, a historic chapel, spaces to meet and work, and an event space for the public that enhances the social, artistic, and spiritual fabric of Tampa through Conversation, Connection and Community Change!

The Portico Community is a non-conventional church whose mission is to make God’s Love Real through spiritual practices and to serve the city and world in ways that address equality, housing insecurity, and economic challenge. We are a community of Hyde Park United Methodist.

The Portico Cafe is a social enterprise that offers people transitioning from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration--job training, employment ladders, and connections to safe, affordable housing. Support here.
Sunday Gathering
Grow more deeply in love. Consider these gatherings:

  • Sunday Gathering, 4/10 at 10:30: Come every 2nd Sunday to build relationships, have conversations about life and scripture, practice silence, and serve together!

  • Community Meal, 4/10 at Noon: Participate Sunday where we get our "knees under tables" with friends and neighbors who are unsheltered or hungry and occurs immediately after the Sunday Gathering. Click the link to sign up to serve.

Join a Small Group
  • Join a Group - Our community thrives as we gather, grow and serve. The Portico's primary vehicle for that is small groups. We have a bunch. If you can't find one, Justin or Mark B will help you create or join one. These new groups have spots available.
Events, Gathering, Serve

Coffee On A Mission
As of today: 44 Bags Sold 

The Mission: 100 Bags in 30 Days 
The Coffee: Locally-roasted Portico Blends (medium and dark) and Don Carlos Espresso
The Cause: Stand against homelessness with every gift or purchase.
Buy, get a subscription, or donate: ThePorticoCafe.org.

We ship ANYWHERE in the U.S. coast to coast. 
The Portico | 1001 N. Florida Avenue | 813.222.2299 | ThePortico.org