Hello Church!
Just a few quick updates:
1) The Table 101
We talked about doing a Table 101 class this fall, but as we weighed the current spike in the pandemic numbers due to the Delta Variant, as well as the beginning (soon!) of fall DNA and Kairos Groups, we decided to postpone the class to sometime later this year or early next year. Look for more info on it in a few months.
2) Conflict, Abuse, and Trauma
One of the class ideas we’ve kicked around is to spend some time talking about how we as a church engage conflict. We’ve discussed wanting to be a place of safety for the weak and vulnerable among us, and develop a healthy immune system that is resilient in the face of abuse.
Unto this goal we think spending some extended time talking about the difference between conflict, disagreement, mistakes, and abuse would be crucial. Conflict is not abuse; but many of us have experienced abuse in conflict situations in the past.
The need for a trauma-informed response to conflict and disagreement in our midst has never been more urgent in my opinion. These are things we are thinking through and praying about daily.
3) The Welcoming Prayer
Can I share a prayer I came upon this week that has been most helpful to me? I pray it dozens of times a day. It’s called “The Welcoming Prayer” and it’s very simple:
- Take a few deep breaths.
- Notice and sink into the feelings, emotions, thoughts, sensations, and commentaries in your body.
- Accept that God is present and at work in what you are experiencing by simply saying, “Welcome.”
- Adopt an attitude of surrender by inwardly affirming the following intention: “I let go of the desire for security, belonging, and control. I let go of the desire to change the situation.”
As we continue forward together as God’s Church in this season of uncertainty and change, may we stay grounded and centered on the unchanging, ever-present God who meets us right where we really are.
In Christ,
Fr. Matt
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