Connecting the Dots
On occasion there is one week in the year when it feels like you have lived a lifetime in those 7 short days. That was last week for me. Sure there was a pancake dinner, the Ash Wednesday service, we finalized the Annual Report, there were visits with new people, people in hospital and people who are not able to physically come on Sunday, a Board meeting, a Finance meeting, the R-W Leadership retreat, and for fun the Olympic Hockey Gold metal game and a Sunday morning worship service just to name a few. I think it is fair to say that we accomplished a lot last week at the church. That wasn’t what made it feel like a lifetime though. Planning and leading a retreat was so life-giving and brought up so many fond memories for me, and I think this is why it felt like a lifetime with the added bonus of connecting with my extended family. Gathering with other people of faith in a circle, a fire in the background, and my guitar in hand brought me joy and made me feel like I was in my 20’s again. We sang, we laughed, we played, we told stories and we shared our meals, and our lives together. I truly felt connected on a deeper level.
When I was young, I loved doing the connect the dots pictures. I found great satisfaction in doing this and discovering what the picture was. As an adult, I still enjoy connecting the dots, but now the dots are people and relationships. At the retreat we indeed connected the dots! The leaders who gathered were invited to bring an object that was important to them, which then led to story sharing about why these objects were important to you. I discovered so many amazing things about the people in the circle. As people shared their stories, it was like seeing the person for the first time again. Layers of protection were removed and what was revealed was spirit filled and amazing. As I sat there listening, I thought to myself, “I wonder if this was what it was like for Jesus and the disciples as they journeyed together from town to town, relying on the hospitality of strangers, or camping on the side of the road around a fire when they were not near to a town.” Deep connection happens when we open our hearts to each other. I have missed this. I spent many years working at camps and at retreat centers in my early years of ministry, and if truth be told, I have always wanted to open a retreat center and host groups, and have space for people to create and express their thoughts and feelings with each other and the world. Perhaps some day…
Lent begins with Jesus going into the wilderness alone, but after that he reconnects with his disciples and the people who have gathered around him to listen, learn, be healed, and come to know God. What made these gatherings significant was that people showed up. People came, people said yes to Jesus’s invitation to come and follow him. R-W’s vitality comes from the people, and their passion and commitment. You can’t underestimate the power of relationship, connection and community. In many ways, R-W is a mini retreat center. We eat together, we worship together, we learn together and we work together, and through this we come to care for each other. I hope that you will take a leap of faith this Lent and join a program, attend an event, come to an evening worship service, participate in the Annual Meeting, and find a new way to get involved in the work of R-W. I promise you that you won’t regret it. And for any of you who are not able to be physically present in the building, I hope that you will reach out to people in the church. Set up a visit, have a deep conversation over the phone - let’s reconnect! For you are all the body of Christ and are precious. May our connections deepen as we walk together toward Jerusalem and the resurrection of Jesus.
Blessings, Rev. Karen