Beloved Friends-
Several years ago, I started replacing my use of the word “but” in almost any sentence to “and” ushering in a new perspective into most situations. Such a small change often underscores the truth that two seemingly competing realities can absolutely co-exist and often, allow both to have equal amounts of integrity and import.
For example:
Version 1: It has been so hard to be apart as a community of faith over the past 64 Sundays, BUT we didn’t have a choice because it was what the gospel compelled us to do loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Version 2: It has been so hard to be apart as a community of faith over the past 64 Sundays, AND we didn’t have a choice because it was what the gospel compelled us to do loving our neighbor as ourselves.
For me, the latter simply, but profoundly, underscores the complexity of life and the need to hold most things more lightly than we do, or at least I do. We can only see from our own necessarily limited perspectives so finding ways to expand our outlooks helps ground me in a bigger, more expansive, more God-like reality. It is one of the many beautiful, AND at times challenging aspects of belonging to a community of faith.
I have been thinking about this over the past week as various things are going on for us as a community including:
- It feels wonderful to start turning the corner coming back to each other AND we still surpassed 600,000 COVID related deaths this week.
- 25 of us gathered for a short in-person Eucharist for the first time this past Wednesday, AND we are not yet ready to come back to full in-person Sunday worship.
- The 2030 Vision is, after nearly 3 years of work, almost ready to be presented to the Vestry AND we still have one more all-parish Feedback session and edits to work into the 7th and final version.
- Music through Trinity@Home has been so wonderful these past months with interim leadership AND we continue to work and pray for a more permanent staffing structure.
- Trinity@Home is clearly here to stay AND we are committed to returning to a vibrant in-person Sunday morning community and worship experience in September.
Episcopalians are sometimes known as “both/and” people; I like it. I want us to be both/and in so many ways. I want us to be “people of the altar AND the exit sign”- remembering God gathers us together to be fed and nurtured, challenged and inspired and then sends us out into the world to find and be the love of Christ!
This Sunday we will continue our journey exploring another one of the 7-spiritual facets of the Way of Love. It is a Rule of Life crafted by our Presiding Bishop and offered to us all as way to help shape and focus our daily living. Last Sunday we began with “Turn”- an invitation to choose Love again and again. This Sunday we will explore “Learn.”
Join us for Trinity@Home- installment 65! May it bring us closer to each other, to God’s love and to the Way we seek “to be loving, liberating and life-giving—just like the God who formed all things in love; liberates us all from prisons of mind, body and spirit; and gives life so we can participate in the resurrection and healing of God’s world.” (The Jesus Movement).
And may you never forget that you are loved,
Lisa