Have you read the daily reading for Tuesday in Practicing Extravagant Generosity? It’s entitled ‘Whitewater World.’ It gives an illustration of why it is so important to keep paddling even when going downstream, because you 1) don’t know what the currents and river look like ahead of you, and 2) the only way you have influence over the direction you are going is to keep paddling rather than coasting along.
I know that the world seems to move faster than some of us can keep up. While computers and handheld devices are ubiquitous these days, many of us grew up in the era of landlines and typewriters. We have had to learn to adapt, and by and large, those adaptations have increased our ability to connect with the world and one another.
Every day when we watch, listen to or read the news we can get swept up at the pace of change we see in our country and in the world. This can lead to anxiety and despair, but it can also lead us to do what we can to have an influence. (Please ask Bob Stubblefield and the RMCC Social Justice Team for suggestions.)
And Resurrection is waiting for the person whom God has called to be our next Senior Pastor to answer that call and for us to affirm it. And we are waiting for the sale of our building and property. And we are waiting for our next location to be made clear. We are doing a lot of waiting, and sometimes we stop paddling.
What does paddling look like for us at this time?
Gabriella Clare Marino has written about “Pathways to Congregational Resilience” in an article from the Alban Institute. In it, she suggests that “To be resilient in the face of new and daunting challenges, more congregations need to focus their energy on these key areas:”
· Vision, mission, and discernment – Clarity about purpose and direction
· Leadership and organization – Both pastoral fit and adaptive structures
· Change readiness – The capacity to innovate without losing identity
· Outward focus – Community engagement and missional orientation
· Spiritual practices – Intentional formation and discipleship
All of these make a lot of sense to me, and I hope they do to you, too. Let me suggest that if the list looks daunting, choose one and focus your energy on it. And we can all start with deepening our spiritual practice with worship, prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, especially the Gospels, and taking advantage of good fellowship opportunities.
Let’s not give up in the face of challenges. Let’s keep paddling. Let’s look to the author and perfector of our faith, Jesus, and see how, through the direst of circumstances, God prevailed and provided Resurrection!
(Rev. Dr.) Candace R. Shultis
Gap Pastor