For those who have stood in the role of proclaiming the good news, (be it through preaching or through other possibly, and probably more effective ways of preaching the word) you may have at one point or another encouraged others and yourself to be open to the leadings of the Spirit, and embrace possibility. You have probably also often allowed your won hesitations, personal struggles… to get in the way and not follow all the nudges you have felt leading to missed opportunities to share the Peace of Christ, Grace of the Holy, Comfort of the Spirit…
Well, at least I have. This morning however I opened myself up just a bit, and allowed myself to be. I traveled with a friend to a congregation of Community of Christ about an hour from the one where I serve and worship most often these days. As we drove there we had some conversations, which in part included how long it had been since I had attended a different congregation on a Sunday, and the bit about my sense of being “multi-congregational.” Talked about possible future opportunities, desire for service… (The last 9 years of life have in many ways been for preparing me to better use my gifts and talents in sharing the peace of Christ so perhaps it is natural to have a desire to serve…). Mentioned a bit of a few times when people from other congregations had said they would like me to come and share, but never encountered the follow up and so have yet to be placed on their schedules. I think more was done in my head than in the spoken conversation, however it was our conversation that perhaps served as a catalyst for my own thought process and for my thinking.
I think it was after we arrived and as we sat around tables with the Adult Sunday School class as they they sought to develop a schedule of teachers for the next several months, come up with topics of interest, and explore some other possibilities of added ministries that might fulfill need that I noticed a slight prompting within me. “Offer to provided guest ministry…. see if they would be interested…” Thoughts along these lines running through my head as I sat in the worship service, listened to the preacher… who was also a member of the pastoral team. I left the sanctuary at the end “say to him, ‘If you’re interested in having a guest minister sometime I would be willing’" I stepped out I shook his hand, and the presiders. I said a few things but nothing about that. I stood nearby, talked to a few people, I looked at the green front page of their upcoming worship schedule, and noticed on the 18th of October no one was down for preaching. I waited a bit longer, I wrestled with myself perhaps. I then went back over and said “I noticed you don’t have anyone down for the 18th” and it just went from there, and now I am scheduled as guest minister for that day. It may be a small gathering as many will be probably attending the leader’s retreat that weekend. so as others travel towards where I live, I will travel out and share in community.
On the ride home my friend, a youth minister for this portion the Eastern Great Lakes USA Mission Centre and I talked a bit. Amongst the conversation was how he had not been invited by the congregation to do anything, preach, participate in a congregational activity…though now he’s scheduled to teach an adult class in a few months. Which led me to mention I was preaching there in three week.. “When did that happen?” “A few minutes ago”…. and a bit more and that I had stepped out of my insecurities, saw the need and made the offer, and about sometimes needing to offer.
We like to dream big, but we also tend to be passive. At least it sometimes seems that way. it’s not bad. sometimes the passive route of being there and allowing others to come to you as need arises is good. But other times it can lead us to focus on the negative, it can lead us miss opportunities to share the peace of Christ, to uplift the worth of another, to help the one in need… or to prevent ourselves from receiving that aid when we are the ones in need. If we sit and wait, and think “they know I am here, and available” but never share with them “I am here and available” then perhaps we will never get asked… Perhaps, just perhaps we need to be a little more active in our placidity and make our availability known. To sometimes when nudged, respond, and become active. Then maybe, just maybe we will start getting into the habit of responding to the promptings of the spirit in our lives more often than not, and thus help heal and restore a broken and torn world.
Peace be with you,
— Lyle II