Musings on Grace Episcopal Church

The following thoughts are based on some things I jotted down in my Moleskine notebook Monday morning. They are still evolving.

Grace Episcopal Church is a community. Like any community it changes--it grows and shrinks, it goes through cycles and phases. Eventually, we will all leave Grace Episcopal Church--and any community to which we belong. Instead of worrying about Grace Episcopal Church's survival, we should cherish the time we have together for as long as we are together.

The members of Grace Episcopal Church have nurtured me, aggravated me, loved me, disliked me. I have, as a part of Grace Episcopal Church, nurtured, aggravated, loved, and disliked.

I missed Grace Episcopal Church when I left, but I survived. I went to a different church, a different community.

I can't make Grace Episcopal Church in my image. The other members can't make Grace Episcopal Church in their individual images. We can only create a community in our collective image. We join communities on the basis of shared commonalities, interests, etc.

I can't change Grace Episcopal Church. I can only change how I interact with Grace Episcopal Church. If enough members of the community change how they interact with it, then Grace Episcopal Church will change. We will be changed as well.

Things ARE happening at Grace Episcopal Church. We have a thriving youth group. It may not be large, but the kids involved are thriving. We have outreach efforts. There may not be a lot of people involved, but given the size of our congregation, a sizable percentage of our members are involved. We have a music program. It may not be everything we want or hope for, but it is growing. We have a variety of education programs. They may not be large, but they provide learning opportunities which members do attend, learn, and share.

The last thing I want to do is sugarcoat Grace Episcopal Church's situation. However, the congregation is what it is. If I truly love this community that I have chosen to belong to, then I have to love it as it is. This is not a "yes, but" situation. It must be a "yes, and." I am still learning what it means to live out that "yes, and" call in this part of God's creation.

Peace,
Jeff