sometimes the only thing you have leſt is that God will get you through this.” Between fi ve and 75 people may greet her on a
T ursday for food, prayer and worship. “Grace—not God—is a hard sell for them,” she said.
“Most are from religious traditions that tell them bad things happen because of a punitive god. So for me to say ‘God loves you’ is hard for some to take in. If they’re intoxicated, I’ll say, ‘God might prefer that you sober up, but God still loves you. God will hang in there with you.’ ” Aſt er her 2012 ordination, Kelly’s concept of a mobile
SCOTT TAKUSHI/PIONEER PRESS
Margaret Kelly prays outside of the “church” she pastors—a food truck called Shobi’s Table in St. Paul, Minn. Every Thursday noon, Kelly and vol- unteers make from scratch and serve free calzones, chosen because they are similar to foods in several cultures.
Church serves up calzones & hope
By Natalie Zett
Payne Avenue lives up to its name. Some nights it’s pain- ful and strange (“Sweet Payne” by T e Hold Steady).
T
here are certain blocks of Payne Avenue in St. Paul, Minn., where nighttime pain gushes into the day, creating an endless stream of struggle. On one
block, across from a Family Dollar Store, stands a food truck. T e young driver sports piercings, tattoos and a clerical collar. Every T ursday noon she and volunteers serve up free food, hugs and prayers. T e food truck is a mobile church called Shobi’s
Table (
www.shobistable.org). Margaret Kelly is its pas- tor: “If we see someone walking by, we say, ‘Hey, you want a free meal? Come on in.’ ” T anks to her early years, Kelly is suited for this
street church eff ort. “My parents have done similar ministry, so I’ve seen what it’s like to be a mission devel- oper in poverty,” she said. She also understands what it’s like to live on the fringes: “You’re stripped bare and …
food truck ministry was approved by the St. Paul Area Synod and churchwide. Shobi’s Table is now a congre- gation under development, which means funding is approved for three years. Another pastor also liked the idea and encouraged
Kelly to apply for benevolence funds from St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, Minn. T e friend also introduced her to Mobile Action Ministries, which allows her to use its truck one day a week. Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in St. Paul off ered its com- missary, where food is prepared and put in trays to cook in the truck’s ovens on the way to the site. Food truck visitors oſt en come from a nearby treat-
ment center, the Salvation Army or public housing, but all are welcome. “If you show up, we will feed you, we’ll treat you well, and call you one of our own. We have so much fun and we love inviting people in,” Kelly said. Sometimes they go elsewhere—churches want food
trucks to come to festivals, which helps with fi nances. “We’re not receiving charity, we have something to
give, so everyone has a hand in our work. We have an expertise to off er—we know how to serve food off a food truck,” said Kelly, whose call is from the St. Paul Area Synod. Her goal is that Shobi’s be 50 percent to 75 percent
fi nancially independent, eventually adding two loca- tions and days to the schedule, and perhaps even a workforce program. T e food might be the draw, but people come for
many reasons. Some stay for the 11:45 a.m. worship that includes Scripture and prayer—which may be the most important thing that’s served. “People want to be known,” Kelly said. “To be remembered. To be cared about. And that’s why we’re here.”
Who is Shobi? In 2 Samuel 17:27-29, Shobi provided radical hospitality to King David’s soldiers—an abundant feast of bread, lentils, honey, barley and beans, as well as fellowship and a safe place to eat.
40
www.thelutheran.org
Author bio: Zett, a graduate of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., is a freelance writer.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52