I write this the day before leading a Youth Pilgrimage to Transylvania. I say lead, but I think that word needs to be broken down, for I am a pilgrim just as the people (both adult and teen) with whom I travel. As I sit more with the elements of leadership, I realize that is one of the biggest places of pilgrimage in my life. I step into a terrain which I know little, then I grow in self understanding which allows me to examine my roles differently. From this point I will never be the same, there is no going back to operating as I did before. Very much like a pilgrimage, each pilgrim will encounter themselves and the world in such a way that transformation is inevitable.
Leadership is the forefront of my thoughts because I just finished a 9 month internship that focused on my theology of ministry while working as a chaplain in the juvenile detention center. I was shocked at the ease and strength with which I assumed my role. The frustration I experienced was when I would need to accommodate other people’s anxiety about my work. I realize now what I labeled as others anxiety was real fear of an unknown. I did not hold that same fear. As I journey in this pilgrimage I feel I am aware of when I am fearful and when I am picking up on another’s fear. One of the greatest gifts I can offer this pilgrimage is strength and solidarity. I have committed to this group that I will walk with them in ways known and unknown.
Through my coursework and preparation for this pilgrimage I have become increasingly clear in my theology, in particular, my Christology. Along with my new found strength coming from the jail, I find I am more invited to speak my own theology and to engage in dialogue. I am energized by the variety of God images that exist and see each person as holding a piece of the divine. It is by being and sharing in community that we see the Holy more fully. I am very comfortable operating and translating from the Christian Tradition. I say this with the keen awareness that the tradition I hold so dear has been misused throughout history for power and greed. In the Christian faith I look to the ways Jesus prayed, lived, played, taught, and journeyed with the people of his time. I believe my call, or rather humanity’s call, is to listen deeply and respond lovingly to the world around us. This is a constant discernment, I look to the teachings of Jesus to help me in this process.
I am inspired to hear and explore other traditions, to see the unique ways different people of time and space have chosen to relate to the Holy. I believe the only way we can truly listen deeply and respond lovingly is to be in dialogue and communion with as many diverse people as possible. Dialogue and diversity are what I am most yearning for on this pilgrimage. I am about to meet people who hold different values, who live differently from myself, and who worship differently than I. And yet, through the diversity the one spirit will move us to listen deeply and respond lovingly.
May we be blessed on this journey.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
What is Church?
During dinner, my six year old daughter asks, “So Mommy, What is Church about?” I was so excited, my four years of seminary education and eight years of work as a Director of Religious Education, were rushing to my lips, when I was stopped. Every single person at my dinner table (my partner and my other four children) piped up with their answers. I thought they each deserved some reflection.
It is a beautiful place. My partner grew up Catholic and for him church is a place filled with beautiful artwork and music. A place that smells earthy yet has hints of divine presence. Much like the smell of a beeswax candle. I believe church is a beautiful place because we bring our highest aspirations. Our art and song are our best offering of gratitude to the spirit of life that moves through all.
It is a place to worship God. My middle daughter has a strong faith in God, she is a wonderful spiritual being. She loves to come to church because she feels closer to that spirit of life she has named God. It is a felt sense for her. The feeling of church is the feeling of God. I, too, have a strong God image that opens my heart to the ways the spirit moves among us. In worship I see us lifting that spirit up so that all may share.
It is a place to think about the Ultimate Being. My oldest teen son looks at church from an academic perspective. Church is a place to think about important questions of life. His response was also related to my daughters “God”. My son realizes that people have different images of the holy and Church is a safe place to reflect on those images and learn new ones.
It is a place to meet people and do Social Justice. My oldest daughter (11) is all about socializing and social justice. For her the two are linked, you need to be with other like-minded people striving for the same transformational love. Church has been a place for her to express her deepest desires for a peaceful world and a place where she is gaining the tools to create such a world.
It is a place to play and have pancakes. So my three year old has a different view of church. For him church is a place to have fun. He is right. There is so much love in the world the more we access that love through fun, the more we are able to spread that love.
So that was it, no pontificating for me, no sharing my wise response. However, in the end, my education and experience has given me the understanding that the spirit is always moving and my job is to provide the space for people to see it. This is what happens in our church. We provide the safe space for people of all ages to know the spirit in their own way, to share their joy, express their sorrow, and work to make a better world.
It is a beautiful place. My partner grew up Catholic and for him church is a place filled with beautiful artwork and music. A place that smells earthy yet has hints of divine presence. Much like the smell of a beeswax candle. I believe church is a beautiful place because we bring our highest aspirations. Our art and song are our best offering of gratitude to the spirit of life that moves through all.
It is a place to worship God. My middle daughter has a strong faith in God, she is a wonderful spiritual being. She loves to come to church because she feels closer to that spirit of life she has named God. It is a felt sense for her. The feeling of church is the feeling of God. I, too, have a strong God image that opens my heart to the ways the spirit moves among us. In worship I see us lifting that spirit up so that all may share.
It is a place to think about the Ultimate Being. My oldest teen son looks at church from an academic perspective. Church is a place to think about important questions of life. His response was also related to my daughters “God”. My son realizes that people have different images of the holy and Church is a safe place to reflect on those images and learn new ones.
It is a place to meet people and do Social Justice. My oldest daughter (11) is all about socializing and social justice. For her the two are linked, you need to be with other like-minded people striving for the same transformational love. Church has been a place for her to express her deepest desires for a peaceful world and a place where she is gaining the tools to create such a world.
It is a place to play and have pancakes. So my three year old has a different view of church. For him church is a place to have fun. He is right. There is so much love in the world the more we access that love through fun, the more we are able to spread that love.
So that was it, no pontificating for me, no sharing my wise response. However, in the end, my education and experience has given me the understanding that the spirit is always moving and my job is to provide the space for people to see it. This is what happens in our church. We provide the safe space for people of all ages to know the spirit in their own way, to share their joy, express their sorrow, and work to make a better world.
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