A Note from The Ministry Team
In her poem, “River Clarion”, Mary Oliver writes:
“Yes, it could be that I am a tiny piece of God,
And each of you, too,
Or at least of God’s intention and God’s hope. It will happen gradually
Which is a delight beyond measure.”
Becoming the Beloved Community: The notion of the Beloved Community is an old idea, expressed nearly a century ago by Josiah Royce, founder of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, made popular by Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights movement, and continuing today in the work of our Rev. William Barber in the Poor People’s Campaign. It means creating community based on love. God’s love. An observation about becoming: when people go through hard times, sometimes it makes them sorrowful or even bitter, but hard times can also open us to a new vision and promote growth.
Becoming the Beloved Community is a gradual process. Progress won’t be straightforward. A friend from South Africa spoke of taking 2 steps forward in the quest to end apartheid, often followed by 1 step backward. But we have embarked on the journey. During this sabbatical summer, we have acknowledged our grief, worked on healing, and now are moving toward a new possibility, helping to create the Beloved Community. We have been preparing for this work in many ways. We watched a series of videos on uncomfortable conversations, learned about Disciples as a covenant church, and engaged in individual thinking, prayer and reflection. Many resources for reflection have appeared in the FCC Weekly emails.
The Beloved Community is built by love operating in the human heart. Our vision is an inclusive community based on loving with kindness and compassion. It involves radical hospitality. It begins with listening with the heart, to build trust and understanding. This work blends faith and action, moving us toward becoming a world characterized by justice and compassion.
Love like Jesus is part of our mission statement. But how? Katherine Willis Pershey provides some guidance: “Ultimately I think the old hymn gives the best counsel: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. If we are to be worshipers of God, disciples of Christ, and members of the church, we are going to have to intentionally redirect our attention upon these things, numinous and ordinary alike…We need to relearn a capacity to dwell in God’s presence. We need to cultivate the sort of resilient solitude immune to the temptation to check for notifications. We need to be neighbors before we are consumers. We need to immerse ourselves in holy scripture even if it seems a bit boring compared to whatever is trending on Twitter [or the internet]. In other words, we need to focus our attention on God.
“Yes, it could be that I am a tiny piece of God,
And each of you, too,
Or at least of God’s intention and God’s hope. It will happen gradually
Which is a delight beyond measure.”
Blessings and Love,
The Ministry Team
Janis Brown, Lori Bryant, Mary Alice Do, and Paul DeArman, with assistance from Ann Nichols, Lori and David Gale
This week’s practice suggestions offer a variety of ways for turning our attention to the presence of God, for God Is Love followed by some love in action options. Click here.