Healing: The Act of Restoration

I have been thinking a lot about healing recently. I believe healing is the act of restoring ones body, mind or spirit to a flourishing condition. In this sate we are able to be our most authentic selves. When we are are most authentic self we are living as the being God created us to be. We live most of our lives in a state of unhealthiness (read not authentic). Physically, we can become sick or injured. Mentally, we can become depressed, lonely, or ashamed of ourselves. Spiritually, we can become wounded and hurt and feel God has abandoned us. All of these states of being keep us from living as God has made us.

I am drawn to the idea of restoring. In the act of restoring we are not changing the essence of who we are. In fact in many cases we are simply uncovering it and letting it shine. In the act of restoring we are doing the hard work of peeling away years of paint that have covered up the true beauty of our soul. We sweep away the dust that has built up over time because of neglect or fatigue. Restoration is a transformative process that begins and ends with God's love. In fact restoration may look like we have changed who we are and in some ways we have. We have changed behaviors, the way we view ourself and the world, and the way we interact with other may look different. God's love always changes us and brings transforms us to our authentic self.

I believe that we all need spaces and times where healing can happen. Congregations need to hold space and time for healing. Some people may experience this in a worship service, others a small group, a Christian Education class, a meeting with a pastor, or even a fellowship event. Some of these times and spaces will just occur but it is my hope that congregations will provide intentional times and spaces for healing and restoration. This may be a class or series of classes on Spiritual Practices, invite someone with essential oil experience to talk about how essential oils can support and promote healing and well-being, provide a yoga class or gather moms together for support and healing. There are so many ways to do this. I pray congregations will embrace this aspect of command to love one another.

If you could find healing for anything-mind, body or soul what would it be? What is your greatest healing story? In what ways have you been restored? How has you congregation held intentional space and time for healing?

Diversity: It's the Individuals That Matter

I have been working at Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church for a little over a month now. I love it! I love the people! I was told by Pastor David Stewart and the search committee that DAPC was a very diverse congregation and that the were diverse in many ways-racially, ethnically, educationally, and socioeconomically. I admit that when they told me this I thought to myself can a Presbyterian Church (USA) church really be that diverse? The statistics say that the PCUSA is predominantly caucasian, middle class, and highly educated. It is also true that all of the other congregations I have worked with or grew up in fit this image of the PCUSA. So, yes, I was skeptical that what they were telling me could really be true.

However, as I have come to know this congregation I am proud to say that it IS true! Each Sunday I come to work and worship I look around at the individuals sitting in the pews and smile. Yes, I smile because of the diversity I can see and that I can not see but know. Yet, I smile mostly because all of these people have stories to tell and stories to share with me and with one another (and I am looking forward to hearing their stories!). Diversity in a community of faith means nothing if the stories and lives of each individual member is not heard, honored, and respected. When this happens real community happens, transformation happens, and God smiles!

I smile because in many ways this congregation embodies what church is and can be. DAPC is a reflection of the culture of America and of St. Paul, MN. It is committed to caring for those who are with in the community of faith as well as those who live in the community where it is located.

Working with this diverse community is an exciting challenge for me. While I love the diversity, it is this same diversity that is forcing me to challenge my some of the stereotypes I did not realize I had about people. It is challenging me to think outside the box about Christian Education. It is challenging me to think about the fact that what I thought the future of Christian Education might look like may be realized in this setting much more quickly than I maybe I am ready for. In short it is challenging me to rethink what my ministry is in this particular community of faith called Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church!

Musings of a Visitor

I will never look at visitors the same way again!  I never really thought much about people visiting a congregation.  As a staff person I always tried to greet them warmly and show them what I thought was hospitality.  I was always glad visitors came and hoped they would return.  What I did not realize was how much thought and effort it took for a visitor to show up at a congregation.

I have to assume that most visitors have the same experience I have had over the past several months of visiting congregations.  There is a lot of effort that goes into getting to the door of a church.  First, you have to decide whether or not you are going to attend church that week.  Unlike many congregational members, visitors do not have any commitments or expectations to be present in worship on a Sunday morning.  Visitors can truly decide they just are not going to attend worship-no on is expecting them to be there.  

Once a visitor has decided to attend worship they must decide what congregation to worship with.  My guess is that many visitors get online and do some research about congregations in their area.  They look at the practical things like what time worship begins, how far away is the congregation, is it easy to find, etc.  They might also factor in what other things are going on in the life of a congregation that apply to them or their family as well as what type of worship experience they can expect to have.  This takes a fair amount of time and effort.

On Sunday morning (or other day or time) a visitor may spend the morning wondering how they will be treated when they enter the building.  Will they be greeted warmly?  Will the be bombarded and overwhelmed by the congregation?  Will people engage them in conversation during fellowship or will they have to find the courage to do so themselves?  Will they feel the congregation truly was happy to have them be part of their community?

Visitors might also ponder other questions as they prepare to worship in a congregations.  Will they know  where to go?  Will they be able to fully participate in worship or will they feel like an outsider because they did not know the words to a prayer, litany or hymn?  What am I going to say about why I am visiting this congregation?  How much of myself and my story do I want to reveal to these strangers?  What do I want to know about the congregation I am visiting?  What factors will compel me to return again and again?

It is my experience it takes a lot of time and effort (both mentally and emotionally) to be a visitor!  I wish more congregations would put as much if not more time, thought, and effort in to those visiting their congregations.  I want congregations to understand and acknowledge the time and effort it takes visitors to show up for worship!  In the future when I visitor “shows up” at the congregation I am a part of I will stop and make the effort to really express my gratitude for their presence with us, genuinely take interest in them as a child of God by engaging them in meaningful conversation, and lastly pray for them. 

May we all think of visitors to our congregations as children of God!

Radical Acceptance

A few months ago my sister in law posted two words as her Facebook status- “radical acceptance.”  I had heard the phrase “radical hospitality” but not “radical acceptance.”  I was very intrigued by the statement and began pondering what this means for me as a Child of God.  Radical acceptance has a different connotation as well as additional implications for Christians.  

In order to better understand for myself the idea of radical acceptance I decided to use my trusty computer dictionary to look up the definition of each word.  According to the dictionary when something is radical it is “characterized by departure from tradition [and is] innovative or progressive.”  The idea here is that there is a change in the fundamental nature of what is being described as radical.  Acceptance is defined as “the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group.”  Radical acceptance can be viewed as a fundamental change that is innovative or progressive in the nature of the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable in to a specific group.

As Christians we are called into radical acceptance.  We are called to be transformational in our thoughts and actions.  We are called to transform the way our culture views the concept of acceptance.  Jesus was perfect embodiment of radical acceptance. Jesus healed those were the culture viewed as not healable.  He ate meals with sinners.  He touched those who the culture said were impure.  He loved those who were not lovable.  Jesus’ full acceptance of those in society who were considered unacceptable is epitomizes radical acceptance.  

How do we as Children of God embody radical acceptance in todays culture?  Our culture tells us to accept only those who are like us and agree with us.  It tells us to accept others only if it will benefit the group the way WE want it to.  It tells us to accept the status quo.  If we as Christians want to embody radical acceptance we must do as Jesus did.  We must seek out those who our culture deems unacceptable.  We must see them through God’s lens and see them as the perfectly spiritual beings they truly are!  When we are able to see them in this way we can then accept them as Children God.  They will become an essential member of our family or faith community.  Remember God calls us to embody radical acceptance everyday!

In what ways can you embody radical acceptance?  In what ways can our congregations embody radical acceptance?