Dare To Be

In their book “Prayer For Parish Groups” Donal Harrington and Julie Kavanagh share the following parable for today’s church:

“It was a time for the travellers to move out from the safety of the hut. The hut they were in was familiar and well-lit, but they knew that it could no longer serve them. It was time to venture out into the dark and unfamiliar terrain, to seek out a new place of life. As they moved away from the hut, the light its windows cast on the world outside grew dim, until there was very little to guide them. They had to move along tentatively. The directions they decided on were often mistaken and they had to rely on each other for any progress they made.”

“Not all shared the same feelings about what they were undertaking. Where one grew frustrated, another continued to trust. Where one took heart from the adventure, another started to turn back to the light of the hut. It was a strange and unprecedented situation for all of them. The only ones who knew where they were going were the ones who turned back, for they were turning to familiarity. But anyone embracing the future was at a loss. The only knowledge they possessed was the wisdom that accumulated as they explored their way forward.”

This parable speaks to today’s church. A time of safety and certainty has come to an end. A routine and predictable way of doing things has ceased to be serviceable. We are in a new situation and do not know what to do because we have not had such an experience before. We are all at a loss.

The only ones who know where they are going are the ones reaching back into the past. Those who look to the future, who wish to explore, must trust instead that moving on out in the power of the Spirit will yield its own wisdom. At first the wisdom will be very little and a bit all over the place, but slowly it will form sure patterns. But there is no way to prove this to those who stand hesitating in the doorway of the hut.

The Theme of General Council 42 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland was “Behold! I make all things new”.
Based on Revelation 21, the author of this writing speaks to the people of God and asks if, in fact, we can perceive this thing that is happening.

As a church we have come to a place where many of us know that what we have always done is not what we should always do. We must leave the safety and security of our hut and head out into the unfamiliar.

The Commissioners at GC42 discerned that, indeed, the Spirit is calling us and we must follow. The way forward is certainly far from clear. While we have agreed to the principles of something different we now must discern together what that will look like. As communities of faith we will, over the next two years, be invited to study, pray, determine and ultimately vote on what shape our church will take on in the years to come. Some of us will feel frustrated and may even feel like abandoning the journey. However, we are reminded that the great “I AM” is present always.

I am excited about where this journey might take us. There are endless possibilities!!

May we step out and dare to be the people we are created to be!

Blessings
Valerie