We began our July meeting by reflecting on Thomas Merton’s belief that we shouldn’t become complacent in “having found Christ in ourselves” until we have found him in “that part of humanity that is most remote from our own.” We felt that Merton’s words offered a timely reminder to resist the “us vs. them” mentality that seems to only increase across national and global stages. We have seen the dark consequences of this ideology erupt throughout the past year in political rhetoric and social unrest. As Merton recognizes, it is all-too easy to stereotype people from a distance and then isolate ourselves in comfortable bunkers of like-mindedness. When seen from afar, the specific contours of our identities blend together and recede into homogenous groupings, but when we look closely, we can see the nuances of each person’s God-given individuality. We must actively work to move in closer, to seek out connection and commonality however we can, and to find Christ in those who are most different from us. We take Merton’s words as a reaffirmation of our call as Christians to reach out and find ways to connect our common humanity.
After our opening reflection, we discussed the progress of our ventilation system upgrade. We’re happy to report that we can now begin fundraising and approaching the start of the actual work on the project. This is an exciting next step! We are also working towards installing livestreaming equipment in the sanctuary, training volunteers on how to operate it, and planning for eventual live services that can replace the pre-recorded video services of the past year. Our conversation about the transition from pre-recorded to livestreamed services is just one of the pieces in the larger ongoing discussion about re-opening and what our service offerings can, should, and will look like for fall. We hope to slowly phase out the video services as we move to more in-person offerings, but this is of course a difficult and delicate time.
Regarding “re-opening” and “re-gathering,” we recognize that there is still no one linear path forward, no single, simple solution or perfect answer to the questions of what to do and what not to do. We have begun thinking and speaking of this late-summer period as a “soft opening” in preparation for fall. This means that we are currently testing and trying certain things, as we slowly and carefully navigate the ever-changing intersection of our collective desires, needs, capabilities, and calculated levels of risk. We are tenuously balancing our desire to re-gather with the reality that many in our community are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. We proceed with our entire community in mind, and we want to be especially mindful of our unvaccinated children and those with certain medical conditions that prevent them from getting the vaccine or reduce its effectiveness. We reiterate that our goal—as always—is to be as inclusive as possible and to accommodate the variety of situations. We simply cannot supply a one-size-fits-all solution right now, and we ask that we all act graciously towards one another in this transitional time.
We want to thank everyone who contributed to make the July outdoor service at Lively Park a success: John B. for his work as sound technician; Linnea E. and Judy Z. for adding saxophone and flute this month, joining our other musicians from June—what a joy it is to have live music again! We also thank those who helped organize and orchestrate the coffee hour food and beverage offerings—what a joy it is to share snacks and conversation together again! We want to recognize our Saturday Breakfast volunteers who continue to feed our hungry neighbors. Thank you for your dedication and faithfulness to this much-needed ministry! We also send a big thank you to Altar Guild for their work behind the scenes providing vital infrastructure for our services. Though they are unassuming, they are “front line” workers and have been flexible and adaptable at navigating the fluctuating reality of in-person services.
We conclude with a general thank you to all of you, dear parishioners, for being long-suffering companions along this strange journey. We have learned (and continue to learn) the subtlety beneath Merton’s words this past year, as we have been pushed to search for and develop “Christ within ourselves” in unexpected ways. Since the love of Christ is not a static treasure to possess for oneself but is to be given and shared, to find Christ in others means recognizing our shared humanity and living that great paradox of our faith, where the more we give, the more we have. So then, let us continue to seek Christ in those who are remote from us that we may develop Christ more deeply within ourselves.
