Dearly Beloved,
I am so grateful for this beloved community! On Monday, I met with our congregation's Mission & Outreach Team and our Deacons. Yesterday evening, I broke bread (read: inhaled pizza) with the choir at their annual choir party and then laughed and celebrated with our Pastoral Relations Committee.
There is so much that is heartbreaking in our world. So much fear and hurt, so much division and prejudice, so much that does not make sense, so much that tells us to look out for #1 (ourselves), to be suspicious of one another, and to choose privacy over community and vulnerability. And over and over again I see our community living in resistance to all of those messages. I see us choosing to tell stories of our own struggles, to own the realities of our mistakes, to take ownership of our own history, to trust in the goodness of Love, and to live like we belong to each other. It gives me great hope. It keeps me going. It brings me great joy! Thank you!
One of the unexpected things that came out of my week in Costa Rica was an invitation to deepened creativity. An artist I met on the trip recommended that I read (and work through) "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron. It is a 12-week guide to practicing creativity every day. I had already been planning on journaling while away, but now there is some added shape and purpose to that journaling. Perhaps there will be painting or sketching or doodling as well.
In her book "The Gifts of Imperfection" Brené Brown writes: “When we can...own our story, we can gain access to our worthiness -- the feeling that we are enough just as we are and that we are worthy of love and belonging.” I'm curious how the practice of creativity will help me with this. One of my childhood dreams was to be an author. As a pastor, I'm certainly a writer, but perhaps there are stories worth collecting, putting into a book and sharing with the world. Perhaps there are other forms of creativity calling to me.
I wonder what hidden creativity you have. I know a couple of our congregations elders who have taken up painting or pastels in their later years. My grandmother learned the piano at age 65. What might it look like to own the artistic part of your story? What gifts do you have to share with the world?
I can't wait to hear all about it! As a reminder, I have 3 more Sundays before my sabbatical begins: May 25, June 1 and June 8. The first day of my sabbatical is June 9, and my family departs for our big trip on June 15. Thank you for your prayers! And for your excitement for me, Cora, Ezra, Ana and Tod. And for your prayers and excitement for the learning our congregation will do this summer! I'm so grateful!
Sending you love and blessings,
Thandiwe
