Lately, church has been a place of fullness. There have been celebrations, moments of meaning and connection, and simply plain happiness. I have been leading services, giving sermons, leading children and adult RE, and facilitating small group ministry more often than I thought I would be this year. I have also found myself with more time to connect with people-- to laugh and cry and give hugs; to share in joys and sorrows; and to tell and listen to stories. I have felt very comfortable in my own skin too, confident of my ministry and calling, without the burden of needing some kind of title, recognition, degree, or salary to affirm it. Rather, I am affirmed by the shared expression of love, commitment, and belonging.
The key to finding one's place, I believe, is a process of discernment and support. I have received wonderful support from spiritual leaders-- UU as well as those from other faiths-- that I could not have grown without. It seems to have taken me a bit longer to find my place in the small congregation, with many many detours (aka committees!) along the way. But freeing myself of the committee trap has opened up new doors to share my gifts and do what I do best- to guide and accompany gently in our faith with a full heart, and to connect on an intimate spiritual level with people. Not everyone who is called to lead is called to be a committee chair or board member; and not everyone who is called to ministry is called to ordained ministry.
Spiritual accompaniment and leadership is what makes me come alive...and as Howard Thurman said, what the world needs is people who have come alive.
I believe that we are all called to find what makes us come alive...and go do it. Our UU congregations could move from a committee/ task force model to a ministries model-- a model that encourages people through spiritual discernment and support to find and share their gifts. We focus far too much on "getting jobs done", rather than finding the intersection of joy and need. (At least this is true in the small congregation, as I have known others who, while filled and open in the large congregation, burned out quickly when transferring to a small one....) When we offer small group ministry, pastoral care, deep listening in healing circles, religious education, worship, social justice outreach, and hospitality to newcomers, then we are ministers. Calling is no other than peeling back the layers to reveal our truest selves and share our gifts; it is an experience of wholeness and moving from the deep heart to respond to needs with compassion and love. We all have a role to play in living out Unitarian Universalist ministry, and to give ourselves over to that larger ministry-- a ministry that upholds and affirms freedom, justice, love and life. I believe that our faith would spread like wildfire if we were able to surrender that much and live fully into a contagious ministry of celebration, joy, and living the fullness of life....within and beyond our doors.
The key to finding one's place, I believe, is a process of discernment and support. I have received wonderful support from spiritual leaders-- UU as well as those from other faiths-- that I could not have grown without. It seems to have taken me a bit longer to find my place in the small congregation, with many many detours (aka committees!) along the way. But freeing myself of the committee trap has opened up new doors to share my gifts and do what I do best- to guide and accompany gently in our faith with a full heart, and to connect on an intimate spiritual level with people. Not everyone who is called to lead is called to be a committee chair or board member; and not everyone who is called to ministry is called to ordained ministry.
Spiritual accompaniment and leadership is what makes me come alive...and as Howard Thurman said, what the world needs is people who have come alive.
I believe that we are all called to find what makes us come alive...and go do it. Our UU congregations could move from a committee/ task force model to a ministries model-- a model that encourages people through spiritual discernment and support to find and share their gifts. We focus far too much on "getting jobs done", rather than finding the intersection of joy and need. (At least this is true in the small congregation, as I have known others who, while filled and open in the large congregation, burned out quickly when transferring to a small one....) When we offer small group ministry, pastoral care, deep listening in healing circles, religious education, worship, social justice outreach, and hospitality to newcomers, then we are ministers. Calling is no other than peeling back the layers to reveal our truest selves and share our gifts; it is an experience of wholeness and moving from the deep heart to respond to needs with compassion and love. We all have a role to play in living out Unitarian Universalist ministry, and to give ourselves over to that larger ministry-- a ministry that upholds and affirms freedom, justice, love and life. I believe that our faith would spread like wildfire if we were able to surrender that much and live fully into a contagious ministry of celebration, joy, and living the fullness of life....within and beyond our doors.
No comments:
Post a Comment