Beloved Friends-
What a glorious week it has been. But before I say anymore, take a moment and soak in these words by poet and environmental activist Wendell Berry:
Geese appear high over us, pass, and the sky closes.
Abandon, as in love or sleep,
Holds them to their way,
clear in the ancient faith: what we need is here.
And we pray, not for new earth or heaven, but to be quiet in heart, and in eye, clear.
What we need is here.
What we need is here…I have often wondered, and did so again this week, what would our lives be like if we truly soaked in these words and let them guide our every step? Another way to think of this invitation is by asking the seminal question asked by those wiser than myself: What would we do if we weren’t afraid?
You see this week was one of those extended periods of time reminding me we are blessed beyond our wildest imaginings as we live into what it means to be an Easter people- people bound together one to another living within the context of our wider community as Episcopalians and children of God.
The first reminder came on Tuesday night when a group of us from Trinity traveled to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fremont to participate in a Diocesan confirmation service. You can see in the picture the beaming faces of those from our community who were either received or confirmed by our bishop the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Madi, Chelsie, Will & Karen were welcomed into our larger expression of the church as they knelt before our bishop and heard the ancient words of the prayers offered on such an occasion welcoming them “home.” The gathering included 3 other Episcopal churches and through the sermon, offered by the Rev. June Hardy-Dorsey, we were reminded we are called to be deeply connected to God and our individual communities of faith as well as to this larger expression of the church. It was a beautiful evening and a sacred time gathering with others from around the diocese especially after 2 years of relative isolation.
Then, another beautiful reminder of “what we need is here” showed up on the following evening when some of us attended an evening with Episcopal priest and founder of Thistle Farms Becca Stevens, at St. Michael’s in Ottawa Hills. Having recently attended the national Thistle Farms conference in Nashville just a few weeks ago I was excited to have others from our community meet and hear Becca talk about the amazing program she began 25 years ago. Thistle Farms is a social enterprise providing a pathway to economic stability and freedom for women who have survived human trafficking, incarceration, addiction and abuse.
Now an internationally recognized speaker and author, Becca travels extensively throughout the country to inspire, encourage and challenge others to embrace the reality that what we need is here. Wednesday night she did all of that and more as she and 2 Thistle Farms “sisters” – graduates of the program and now employees, shared their stories and inspired us all.
Becca ended her time reminding us that wherever we find ourselves, it is in fact the right place, and whoever is around are in fact the right people; the challenge is to see it and believe, and then, commit to do the work of helping others and, in the process, find the places in ourselves in need of healing and hope as well. Love can, she asserts, change the world.
Come home this Sunday to either Trinity@Home at 9:00 via our website, our Trinity@316 at 10:00 in person to be reminded yet again and again; What we need is here!
And may you never forget that you are loved,
Lisa