Buen Camino!

Today I begin my Lent discipline of walking 1 hour each day. I started at noon, outside the door of the church and headed south along Military Road. I planned to walk as far in this direction as I could for 1/2 hour, with the thought of turning around and walking back.
Prayer Walking is an old habit I have discarded, so I thought it would be good to re-invigorate it during this year's Lent season.
I am taking this up intentionally to encourage my congregation to also "walk" along "the Way," as we join other pilgrims along the Camino Santiago de Compestela, at least figuratively. We will greet each other on Sunday morning with "Buen Camino!"--Good road to you.
I also intend to walk along different routes each day and record some prayer thoughts and noticings. Here's what I learned today that I didn't know.

• In Arlington, one can sponsor a bus stop. 
• There are a number of competing businesses at that funny intersection of Lee Highway, Old Dominion and Quincy, not only the auto dealerships--Honda and Toyota--but veterinary clinics--Northside and Cherrydale.
• This area didn't start to be settled until after the Civil War. [From that Virginia history plaque in front of the library.]
• The cross walk button at the light at Lorcom and Quincy doesn't seem to be working.
• The most noticeable thing about the residences in the neighborhood is how much effort goes into home appearance--landscaping is beautiful! Shared values, it seems, are the tree canopy, scale and variety in plantings, neatly trimmed hedges--all designed to enhance the outdoor beauty and say "We care that this neighborhood looks good." There is lots of evidence of recent property renovations--fresh poured concrete and paving stones, construction debris bins. I have lived through several whole-house renovations myself and know the expense and trouble of doing this. But the results are good!  I must say that the 'little church with a big mission' also shares those values. We want to look good as well as do good. I realize the cautionary note here: are we doing as well as we look? It's easy to be seduced into thinking that we all have it all together because our surroundings are so beautiful. Lent makes me face the very real possibility that it isn't so.

My hope and prayer today was that the people who live in these neighborhood homes put as much effort to their spiritual lives as they do into their homes, so that their full lives can be as abundant as their homes appear to be. And so for the church.