A congregation of the United Church of Canada
NOTICINGS…
November 30, 2022
I meet weekly with a small group of clergy colleagues for coffee and conversation. Such a group has been a constant throughout my ministry career, wherever I’ve been in ministry. It is, for me, an absolutely vital component of my week (and my sanity). Prior to the pandemic we used to meet here at Faith United. It was a joy for me to be able to host, make coffee for everyone, and know that it wasn’t just essential for me, but also essential for my colleagues. When Covid forced us to work from our homes we didn’t miss a beat. We instantly transformed into an online group and continued to meet every Monday morning. To say that that group was a lifeline during an incredibly stressful and isolating 2 years would be a colossal understatement.
During my sabbatical the group began to meet in-person again, obviously at another place. It has been wonderful upon my return to reconnect in-person with these friends. As always happens, there have been some changes. The group has gotten a little bigger. More colleagues who were further isolated by Covid-times have found their way into our circle. I’d like to share a bit of what happened this Monday.
We began with the usual “hi-how-are-you’s,” and then a couple of puns were floated, and then more, and then stories, and for the first hour or so we were, quite literally, falling off our chairs laughing. Someone walking by would have wondered what the heck we were up to with all that noise. One person said, “I’m glad we’re here – we couldn’t carry on like this in a coffee shop. They’d think United Church people were crazy.” I said, “I don’t know – this might be about the best evangelism we could ever think of! Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group that had this much joy?!”
Over the next hour we shared deep stories of our current blessings and struggles and offered one another wisdom and support from our collective experiences. It was…holy. The whole thing. Holy. If we could bottle that morning and ship it across the country to every clergyperson in the United Church our denomination would be transformed. Ministry can be a remarkably isolating vocation. Connecting with peer groups, and having safe space to say what needs saying, and feeling the support of people who really understand you, is vital. That sounds a lot like church to me!
I have the privilege of leading Faith United, but I’m not a member here. My membership is in the wider church. So, for me, that group is my ‘church’ – and the thing I always say to them about y’all is also how I feel about them: “I love my church!” I think many folks that are part of Faith United get that same kind of love, support, and mutuality, soaked in God’s loving presence, from Faith’s shared ministry together. That’s what makes Faith such a wonderful community. If that’s how you feel I would invite you to take a moment, take a deep breath, and bring to mind your experience of Faith United. And then, if you are so moved, you might offer this prayer of thanksgiving, “I love my church!”
(Click here for a video version of Noticings)
During my sabbatical the group began to meet in-person again, obviously at another place. It has been wonderful upon my return to reconnect in-person with these friends. As always happens, there have been some changes. The group has gotten a little bigger. More colleagues who were further isolated by Covid-times have found their way into our circle. I’d like to share a bit of what happened this Monday.
We began with the usual “hi-how-are-you’s,” and then a couple of puns were floated, and then more, and then stories, and for the first hour or so we were, quite literally, falling off our chairs laughing. Someone walking by would have wondered what the heck we were up to with all that noise. One person said, “I’m glad we’re here – we couldn’t carry on like this in a coffee shop. They’d think United Church people were crazy.” I said, “I don’t know – this might be about the best evangelism we could ever think of! Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group that had this much joy?!”
Over the next hour we shared deep stories of our current blessings and struggles and offered one another wisdom and support from our collective experiences. It was…holy. The whole thing. Holy. If we could bottle that morning and ship it across the country to every clergyperson in the United Church our denomination would be transformed. Ministry can be a remarkably isolating vocation. Connecting with peer groups, and having safe space to say what needs saying, and feeling the support of people who really understand you, is vital. That sounds a lot like church to me!
I have the privilege of leading Faith United, but I’m not a member here. My membership is in the wider church. So, for me, that group is my ‘church’ – and the thing I always say to them about y’all is also how I feel about them: “I love my church!” I think many folks that are part of Faith United get that same kind of love, support, and mutuality, soaked in God’s loving presence, from Faith’s shared ministry together. That’s what makes Faith such a wonderful community. If that’s how you feel I would invite you to take a moment, take a deep breath, and bring to mind your experience of Faith United. And then, if you are so moved, you might offer this prayer of thanksgiving, “I love my church!”
(Click here for a video version of Noticings)
Shalom,
Rev. Larry
Rev. Larry