A blessing of unplanned prayer

I was in a Zoom meeting this week, and one of our beloved members was sharing about some of the challenges they’ve been facing. One member said “we’re praying for you”, and it was met with a Zoom Room full of nodding heads and heart-reactions.

And before we moved to the next agenda item, another member said “We’re praying for you, now.”

And pray we did. Aloud, unplanned, authentically, beautifully, from the heart. The one who led the prayer named our friend, commended the challenges to God, asked for strength, and expressed gratitude for God’s companionship and faithfulness in this difficult time.

It was beautiful. It was important!

It hadn’t been on the agenda, but it was exactly what we were gathered to do. (Yes, we did the other work as well!) As a faith-based organisation, we often speak of prayer – and I know that these people of prayer are committed to that ministry of praying!

But so often we can forget that sacred pause, when the to-do list can wait, and pray aloud when the opportunity presents itself. There will always be something else that is waiting to be done, of course, but we risk the chance of diminishing ourselves and our communities if we skip over those few brief moments to engage.

It may not fit every setting (like a business meeting) or every venue (like a grocery store – I was once asked for prayers over the produce!). But for those of us this week – it was holy. We’re all blessed by the privilege of prayer!

The Power of Community

A few weeks back, I had a conversation with someone who self-identified as “a Christian Pilgrim” – by which they detailed that they did not follow any denomination, but went from church to church each Sunday. This person had been a guest at our service, and stayed after service not to join our coffee hour, but to tell me explicitly why they would not be coming back.

Their discourse notwithstanding, what stayed with me after reflection was a sadness. Not that we wouldn’t see them again, as our faith community was evidently not a ‘good fit’ – and I do wish them blessings on their journey. My sadness was rooted in recognising that this person had chosen to be without Christian community at all. They were clear that they were not looking for community; they were happy to be permanently itinerant.

By moving each week to a different house of worship, they are denying themselves the benefits of that community: people with whom to pray and praise, to study and discuss, to serve alongside.

Church is not just about being in the pew; it’s about being the people of God together. We learn from one another and gain new perspectives as we discuss how we sense God calling us. We are challenged into different interpretations of scripture as the lectionary takes us into the whole of the book, inspiring us to move beyond our favourite passages and into understandings that evolve as we ourselves grow and mature.

In community, we hold one another accountable, we discern together, we minister together. We respond to the needs of the community: within our broader geographic location, and within our spiritual connections. We laugh and love together, we join one another in celebration, we support one another in suffering, we do our best to be faithful companions.

But we never do it alone. Every teaching of Jesus invites people to go in pairs or groups, every epistle is written to build up the community of faith, every time of fellowship is designed to bring us closer to each other as the children of God.

I love being part of healthy church community: I have been blessed more than I can detail by people I’ve journeyed with. And with technology we have means to stay connected as never before. My hope is that we all find a community to which we can belong; with God at the centre, keeping us connected in holy ways.

More than a Food Basket

potatoes, carrots, parsnips, asparagus, lettuce, orach,
spinach, rhubarb, onbion, coriander, and dill. YUM!

Last night, it began…
This weekend was the first collection of the CSA produce for the season!

CSAs, or Community Supported Agriculture, are closely linked food systems where consumers pay in advance for a share of the season’s crops, and the farmers then provide a share of the crop based on what is produced.

CSAs serve to decrease the distance between farm and table (thereby decreasing travelling time and expense, and allowing for fresher food), they also increase the links between the growers and the purchasers (thereby building community). It’s a means to highlight local and seasonal food, and may expose people to new (to them) foods and thereby new recipes can be tried. (This week, for example, one of the foods I received is orach – and got to learn what that was! I haven’t considered up how I’ll eat it yet…)

It seems fitting, this Pentecost Sunday, to be reflecting on how community is built. Those of us who pre-purchased a share have supported the farm, and will share in the risk of the season. Our weekly collections will reflect if it’s a good growing season or a challenging one. Together, we share the output, proportional to our input.

I do not know everyone who participates in this CSA, but we share in the collection and distribution. We enter into the community with trust, as there is a cycle of us who bring the food into the city for member pick up. The bags of goods vary in content (based on the time of year and any prferences identified) and quantity (based on what size of share we've ordered). We've given and receive in proportion to what we have and what we need.

We have all invested in the farm – its people, its crops, its ethics. It’s a commitment in hope, as we support not only the literal fruits of the earth but also the different concepts of economy, ownership, and cooperation. It’s high quality food that allows us to see the world in new ways, healthier ways, moral ways.

I’m looking forward to being part pf the CSA this year; just as I am excited to see how this garden reflects the kin-dom as it feeds our bodies alongside our souls.

Snipped

Not my hair...

I had a haircut this week.
Not a big change, just a good trim in time for summer.

Before we had started, my stylist communicated well with me, confirming that I wanted about 3 inches taken off. More than just trimming the split ends, long enough to be easily pulled back.
She started by taking off about an inch – until I confirmed that I really did want it shorter, and then – snip!

As we were chatting, she commented that I was always so relaxed about my haircuts… and I replied that it’s only hair! If I didn’t like the end result, it would just grow back. The stylist at the next chair said she wished she heard that perspective more often!
As I am not someone who spends much time styling my hair (a simple ponytail is my normal summer ‘look’), I was less concerned about defining the precise outcome that some others do.
No shade on those who do – it’s just not my thing.

I try to live life with a similar viewpoint. Life will happen – sometimes as we expect, sometimes very differently. Sometimes the outcome is exactly our goal, and we can be pleased; or it may be adequate but not quite what we had in our minds; or it could be entirely … off.

But: the do-over can happen. Like a tragic haircut, it will usually grow back. It takes some time and effort, and often some involvement from someone with appropriate skillsets. (My stylist for growing out the pixie cut was fabulous!)
But we can consider more than just the immediate.
We can work to change our patterns, styling our habits in ways that will be helpful.

We can communicate what we want - meaning we've spent some time thinking about it.

We can make changes gradually, and increase over time if we feel it appropriate. Or we can choose a drastic change!
We can make effort to repair damaged relationships; and if that’s not feasible we can accept that it’s not meant to be, and move forward with peace.
We can adapt to the circumstances that life throws at us, like containing a ponytail on a windy day or planning a perfect blowout for an event… we almost always have some options as to how we respond to the world around us.

And – more often than not – we can simply be satisfied with what we have, day after day.