As we enter the season of Easter and move further into spring, it feels natural to be reawakening to what is possible and reigniting our sense of who we are as a faith community for this season in our faith life! What is stirring in you? What are your hopes and dreams for how Beautiful Savior lives into God’s mission with the people and other gifts we as a congregation have now? What sorts of things excite you enough to show up and contribute to making them happen?! I’m hoping the upcoming Asset Mapping activities will stir some of your creative juices and help put a few new ideas together in a way that generates some energy and fun!
And here’s another idea – in our recent turn toward considering land stewardship, the gardens were mentioned as something to preserve “for the sake of the community” and as outreach, so this is a way to live into those sentiments. Garden Guru, Doug P has designated April 15th as a designated garden community cleanup and sharing of a rototiller day. What a perfect time to pitch in to help with weeding, preparing, and lugging as a low threat way to get to know those who use our gardens. (the Mormon community has been the only ones providing this sort of support and fellowship here, I’ve noticed).
And maybe the sort of connection possible through shared labor can lead to something like a Feast of the Gardens, where we can come together around tables to enjoy the fruits of labor and love together. And while not wanting to get out too far ahead of where you might want to go, I cannot help but think about the positive impact that having people of BSLC engage with garden neighbors on a monthly basis would be! We could grow relationships through shared work alongside these neighbors, where shared conversation could help us learn more not only about the realities of gardening, but about each others’ lives. And knowing that at least three of the “usual” gardeners have limiting health conditions – related to age, long-COVID, etc. – we could make more of a difference than you might first think.
Other people raised a desire to protect space to pitch the tent for summer outdoor worship. It’s not too early to consider how you might help make outdoor worship possible in the coming months. Last summer it became clear that we no longer have a sufficient pool of people (rotating or consistent) committed to the wet up and support of continuing a regular schedule of outdoor worship so I have not planned to reprise it, much as it saddens me (I delight in worshiping outside, in and among God’s creation!). Complicating matters further, we no longer have a keyboard and I’m unaware of guitar players available to support singing outside. What are your thoughts for creating the possibility of outdoor worship on some sort of regular basis? Or do we let go of this response to the challenges of a few years, and move on “as is” (indoor worship only)?
Let’s explore together the ways we can move from passive (and relationally removed) ministry, into active and more rewarding engagement with our neighbors. Hmmmm…, that has me I wondering what God might be waiting to reveal to us about what God’s preferred future for this particular community of faith might unfold? Are you ready and willing to find out together?!
Pastor Jean
Comments