Holly and Melissa did a wonderful job writing the service. Much is made of the UCC's stand for social justice. These women beautifully tied this continuing struggle to our faith, to our congregation, and to our long history. It was meaningful and relevant. Nice work!
In the midwest (and in Newfoundland I'm starting to learn), it's not the custom to step back and admire your work--let along give yourself the smallest of pats on the back. We mainly try to keep our heads down and acknowledge those that came before and those that struggled along with us. Yet there are times when taking that step back is beneficial. There are times when it's necessary to look at your work and see how it stacks up and fits in with the rest of the world. Sometimes during that stretch when you're keeping your head down and tending to your business, you start to forget why you're tending to that business in the first place. You forget how initially important that task or activity was because it was your way of sharing the best parts of You with that which is Everyone Else.
A funny thing happens when you glimpse "the whole" unexpectedly. You're startled because not only are you seeing that wholeness, but you're also hit with the realization that you're standing in it. Standing in it like a river that runs up to your knees and all that's come before washes over and around you and you see that you do fit in because the water makes room. All that will ever come will eventually wash over you and around you as well.
We really don't need to ask one another to gather at the river. We've just needed to look up, wipe our brow, and see that we're already knee-deep.
2 comments:
Thank you. Very well said. It's good that you keep that sincerity in reserve for occasions when you really need it. That way it's more powerful than if you were sincere all the time. :)
I like the river image. From now on, we'll sing "Shall we gather IN the river, that flows 'ROUND the throne of our God".
I'm glad after the time and effort I spent on the service, really hoping that people would not see it as 'cheesy' or as another presentation that they had to endure, that many folks stepped up to say that they thought it was 'powerful', 'thoughtful', and 'well done'. I will allow myself a small pat. And then, before this turns into it's own blog post, I'll sign off.
Yes, you could call that post "Holly being awesome."
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