| Vernice's View |
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Change is a part of life, not always pleasant, but an ever present reality. As we transition into summer and to new pastoral leadership let us be mindful of our commitment to this community; to support it with presence, prayer and resources. During transition staying connected to the community and to one another will be vital to the life of this congregation. Being community is not as easy as it sounds, so I want to reflect on what it means, using these two scriptures to inform my reflection. Nehemiah 8:1-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a. The theme throughout these scriptures is the importance of community, of relationship, and of connection. A community is a group of people who care for one another and who help maintain the social and the spiritual structure. Community gives us purpose and meaning. Community is relational. Community is family; family who are very intentional about living out all that that means. To weaken one is to weaken all or as Paul states it, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” Broadway is a unique community. One that encourages each individual to be the person God created them to be. To bring all we are, all that we have to add to the whole, to build a more complete picture than one individual can; integrating spirituality and sexuality; integrating color and gender, creating a sacred space for the stranger in our midst, encouraging each other to make connection, to be an integral, interlocking part of the other; encouraging the community to fit together, to work together building walls of safety, not walls of exclusion; promoting justice, mutuality and healing. Community, relationship, connection – are essentials in building and maintaining any group. As a way of living that out, as a way of claiming our many parts, let’s picture ourselves as puzzle pieces and be reminded that each piece links us together to build a complete picture, a total vision. Recall how we interlock and merge with one another, be reminded of how vital, how necessary, how critical each piece, each person is to the whole. As we move into the summer, with the many personal and community changes on the horizon, I hope that the scriptures and reflection will aid and support our journeys. In Truth and Justice, Pastor Vernice |