There's no truth in the rumour that all one does in the church is go to meetings. mmm. well, not much.
Much of what I've been doing these past three weeks as I've begun my placement at Belair Uniting Church has been going to meetings: last Thursday was back to back 'meetings' all day. Oh, to be fair, I suppose many of these so called meetings have actually been conversations as I start to get to know the congregation as a whole, the individuals who are part of the congregation, and my neighbouring ministers. I've also been getting to know the rhythms of life for my new congregation, where and when we gather (apart from the main gathering on a Sunday morning), where and when people are studying, working, what other groups and activities we're involved in, how our health is, what our hopes and fears are.
And, slowly, I am getting to know people's names. This is one reason to be grateful for a smaller congregation!
This Sunday just gone was one of the high points, as I led in the gathered worship for the first time since being called to Belair, and as we celebrated my induction to this placement.
From some of the brief feedback that has filtered through, I believe some of the things I asked people to do on Sunday morning were a little different.
We didn't have a standard prayer of confession - I had been talking to the children's ministry leaders during the week, who had told me they've been asking the young ones to whip round at the start of their time together and say something about their week. So I mentioned that this is what they'd be doing, and perhaps we could also acknowledge the week that had been - confession for me is less about listing all the things we've done wrong or badly, and more about bringing ourselves fully before God, the good and the bad. There are times for us to focus on contrition and our complicity in social wrongs, but sometimes we've come to worship having had a great week - so it's good to allow space for us to acknowledge however we are before God as we come to worship. And it was a neat way to remind ourselves as the children went out to their activities that we are one community.
At the end of the reflection (sermon) I invited another time of silence, in which I asked people to imagine the relationships in their lives and in this congregation, in light of what I'd pondered about loving kindness and right relationship (righteousness, Matt 5:20ff).
And for our blessing, after the prayer of commissioning, I asked the people to turn, face each other, and sing the blessing to each other - to these people with whom we are called to be in right relationships of loving kindness. So we sang Shalom / peace to each other.
I don't know how different my chat with the young ones was (imagining being salt in the world highlighting the flavours of God the way salt in pizza brings out the flavours of the base, sauce and toppings), or how different it is for the minister to be wearing alb and stole whenever she preaches, not just for communion and baptism, but those are some things that probably also led to the comments about the fresh approach, and help you to imagine our gathering.
People stayed and talked with one another so long that I ended up going back into the church to greet some of them! What a good measure of the health of a community.
As the children had gone out, I asked them to please come and tell / show me at morning tea what they'd been doing, and they did, showing me the sheep they had cut out and named - there's one called Sarah they said. And I heard about the first week back at school, and the friends and experiences, brothers and sisters ...
The induction service was beautiful, joyful, and humbling in the number of people from other communities with which I am and have been connected who joined us for the celebration. There were quite a few from the Urban Mission Network, Blackwood Uniting Church, Christ Church and one of the early co-leaders of The Esther Project, as well as friends and family, and a good number from Belair itself. What a delight.
John Hughes gave us a great reflection on what it means to be called by Jesus to be fishers for people, as much as we are the fish working together for the health and wellbeing of the whole 'school'.
Sharonne Price led us with a great sense of occasion as the representative from the Presbytery.
And it was so good to have young ones and adults involved in reading the Bible portion, offering the symbols of the office of the minister, and speaking words of welcome; and to have Leanne Jenski, minister at Blackwood, lead us in prayer.
As we greeted people at the door, I received hugs and kisses from my new community and from people who have shared in significant moments, in the long journey, towards ordination, towards this first placement with a congregation.
The conversations over afternoon tea flowed for ages, as people found connections with one another, and delighted in this new era for Belair and for me.
I showed people my 'office' - a corner in the sun room which is our meeting room for many different purposes, and found a note of welcome from one of the young ones. A hug from one of the young ones as she left showed me welcome and acceptance - extra special so early in my time with them.
This is one of those moments in life when things feel good and right. I know it won't all be easy, but I also know that it will be a joy and an honour to share life and faith with this community in the years to come. And I'm grateful to the Spirit for guiding me here.
