As I have begun my work in the Church, I have been fortunate enough to stumble into communities of like-minded people. I serve a wonderful congregation, have been blessed with the friendship of fellow young clergy, and have been welcomed by several of my more seasoned colleagues into the ministries of the higher governing bodies of my denomination. I have been particularly encouraged by the work of The Synod of the Northeast to reinvent and re-imagine what a synod (the third most comprehensive of the PC(USA)'s four levels of governance) is and to figure out what unique service it can offer to the well-being of the Church. In discerning a new way forward, the Synod of the Northeast has chosen to embrace the wealth of diversity within our midst, working to find ways to discover and draw upon the wonderful gifts already present in our communities, and helping the Church to focus on the mission and ministry Christ has called us to do, channeling our energy and giftedness toward fulfilling these purposes.
I cannot tell you how excited I am! It's like discovering a team of people working to translate my forgotten native language into English!
Together we have begun to put words to those deep things we feel and are convinced we know even though we don't know how to describe them. And as we learn to speak these truths aloud, we begin to feel less crazy and we discover that the tiny bit of life we sensed was buried deep down there in the darkness is not tiny at all, but a strong subterranean stream. This fills us with joy and hope, and gives us the determination and energy we need to keep moving forward in this work. We sense there really will be a time when this stream will bubble up to the surface and spill out into the light of day, becoming apparent and a source of life to all.
In the meantime it's hard work. We cherish these little splashes of light, these times together, these sustaining relationships. And I'm so excited that the work of the Synod of the Northeast is actively endeavoring to encourage this! The water is starting to bubble toward the surface.
