More on sharing life with the pipeline blockaders

Recently I wrote about the tar sands pipeline blockaders who have been coming to our church in Nacogdoches, Texas. Life with these young people is never dull. We’re learning to improvise and be light on our feet with them around.

Pipeline construction continues at an alarming pace, and TransCanada has recently been successful in Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation suit against the primary organizations supporting the blockade of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. As a result the blockaders are reevaluating their efforts. They hope to creatively resist the pipeline yet abide by the court’s orders.

And they continue to be in church on Sunday mornings. Mostly their numbers have grown to as many as 20, but on occasion many are out of town for meetings and we have as few as two. We’ve developed a habit of providing potluck soup and bread each Sunday after worship, and we invite whosoever will. So we’ll have 15 or 20 blockaders and another dozen or so church folk gathered around tables sharing wonderful soups and stimulating conversation. It’s fun, with incredible energy in the room.