Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
So much for the beautiful spring weather, though the sun is shining.
There are lots of ways to get or stay involved at Peace.
The She Shed Bible study is kicking off. It’s a Lenten Bible study, but it’s a start to a new habit.
The Men’s group will be starting up again on St. Patrick’s Day at 5:30 p.m.
Presbyterian Women meet once a month, and our retirees have a regular luncheon as well.
Church is not just about that one hour on Sunday, it’s about a loving community. However, that community does not exist without you.
Pastor in Action
So in the past week I have attended a number of meetings.
I participated in the pre Commission of Care meeting, and then helped moderate the CoC meeting itself last night. On Saturday, I attended a Pilgrimage team meeting, and then last night I participated in the Pilgrimage council meeting.
Last week we kicked off Lent with our Ash Wednesday service. (We had 15 in attendance.)
In addition to all this, there was worship preparation, and some reading.
We have had visits scheduled, but because people have been feeling down, they have been rescheduled.
Message
I was in a meeting yesterday, and the check-in question was, how do we feel about snow. The answers were quite varied. A couple of people like skiing. One was big into cross country skiing. Another person enjoy snow blowing, and one lady actually likes shoveling snow. As for me, I like snow just fine, when I’m under a blanket, with Earl Gray tea, a book, and my dog. Snow is pretty, but it is also messy when it gets tracked into my house, and it’s cold.
Now, I could easily make this message about how people view things differently, and it would be a good message. We all see the world through different lenses. Some like it hot, while others like the cold. However, that’s not today’s message.
I attend, as a participant, several committees and councils. One of the things I have noticed is that at each one, someone asks an off the wall question which is followed by a check-in. We want to know how people are doing. I’m not talking about he standard Sunday question of, “Hi, how are you?” Which is followed by the customary, “fine.” I’m talking about a real question looking for real honest answers.
Sitting in my pastor’s chair and looking at the congregation, I can tell you everyone has a struggle. Not most, not some, but everyone.
We all need that someone we can talk to, unconditionally. We need to be able to share our pains, and our joys. People aren’t always looking for solutions. Heck, many times they know the answers, and some of those answers are difficult. What they need is a shoulder. Someone who will listen without judging, support without expectations, and someone who will just be a friend.
The sad fact is, we’ve been raised to stand on our own two feet; to pull ourselves up. We’ve been told not to air our “dirty laundry,” and that asking for help is being weak. (Honestly, I think this is a huge lie. Asking for help takes courage.) The real fact is, we all need a hand sometimes. We are communal creatures. We live in communities. Family community. Church community. Neighborhood community. Workout community. And many, many more.
We have a phrase in Tae Kwon Do that makes sense. Lift as you climb. As we work to improve ourselves, we also work to help those around us, to make them better. Here’s another way of looking at it, in my opinion. I climb as I lift. When I help someone, in whatever way that might be, I am also helping myself.
We are, and have always been, better together. Since the earliest days, humanity has worked in small communities to survive. They hunted together. The gathered together. They ate together, and shared the fire. That’s how we got here today, but supporting each other.
Friends, I want to encourage you to do two things. First off, when I ask you how you’re doing, tell me. I want to know the truth. While you’re at it, make sure you have that friend or two that you can lean on. Secondly, be that friend. When you ask someone how they are doing, don’t let them get off with “fine.” No, they are not. Listen to them. Listen to their words, their tone, their body language. If they need to cry, give them your shoulder. If they need to laugh, laugh out loud. Be that friend that you would want.
Know this, I count you all as friends, and I thank God that each of you is in my life.
Blessings and Peace
Brian Long