Vital, Attractive and Inviting
Dear Friends,
A living, vibrant spiritual community looks like a tree, a spreading chestnut -- no, we're in California -- an oak with a canopy that gives shade and cools the air as it blows through her leaves. Such a tree, such a community is vital, attractive and inviting.
VITAL
A living, breathing, vital tree is a wonder to behold. Set against the green hillside, her roots spread wide and reach deeply into the earth, her leaves flutter in the wind. You can tell a vital tree -- life abounds -- in it, all around it. Gazing upon such a tree, taking it in, one is moved to stammer in awe. Just so with a vibrant spiritual community -- life abounds: there is strength in community, beauty in togetherness. As the tap root of community sinks deep, people in vibrant spiritual community find, "at root," a connection to the vital source of their lives and the lives of those they love. This, of course, causes folks to wonder, to behold a vital, strong and beautful thing.
ATTRACTIVE
See how our oak tree attracts life? Beneath her branches, cows out to pasture seek her cooling shade. Up high, the birds rest in her branches and the neighborhood boy, chasing off the cows, comes and lies beneath the tree, sleeping under the protective span of her branches. Our spiritual community is attractive like that. People are attracted to the strength of our community, they find shelter in the beautiful togetherness of folks united in common affection. Sensing the depth of relationships they find love embodied, at home in the world. Deep spiritual community is attractive to people.
INVITING
I remember when I was growing up I had my favorite tree. I could climb in her branches, eat lunch in her shade and sit in her coolness on a hot day. She was all I could want in a vital, attractive tree. It took more than one person to reach around her trunk. For that you had to invite others: and that is what I did. One day, out walking in the woods with friends, I lead them to my favorite tree. And soon, we were always meeting there -- it became our clubhouse tree -- making our plans for the day at the foot of this mighty tree. So, the spiritual community. In the forest of spiritual communities we are one among many. People do discover us, stumbling upon us in the forest. However, far more folks are likely to find us as we share the joy of our community with them. So, the challenge is there: let's go out and share this great community that we have found. This means that we will invite people to church. You might ask, "How can I do that?" It’s simple: Trust your community, the joy and consolation you have found here with your spiritual friends, your fellow church members. When you invite, just let others know what is precious to you; let them know of your experience of your spiritual home. More than any catalog of beliefs, or ideas of right or wrong, just let them know the joy that you have found here at First Congregational UCC.
When you consider spiritual community, it is sort of miraculous. Think: how many organizations in your life can you say this about: we are vital, attractive and inviting?
Blessings and Peace,
David
A living, vibrant spiritual community looks like a tree, a spreading chestnut -- no, we're in California -- an oak with a canopy that gives shade and cools the air as it blows through her leaves. Such a tree, such a community is vital, attractive and inviting.
VITAL
A living, breathing, vital tree is a wonder to behold. Set against the green hillside, her roots spread wide and reach deeply into the earth, her leaves flutter in the wind. You can tell a vital tree -- life abounds -- in it, all around it. Gazing upon such a tree, taking it in, one is moved to stammer in awe. Just so with a vibrant spiritual community -- life abounds: there is strength in community, beauty in togetherness. As the tap root of community sinks deep, people in vibrant spiritual community find, "at root," a connection to the vital source of their lives and the lives of those they love. This, of course, causes folks to wonder, to behold a vital, strong and beautful thing.
ATTRACTIVE
See how our oak tree attracts life? Beneath her branches, cows out to pasture seek her cooling shade. Up high, the birds rest in her branches and the neighborhood boy, chasing off the cows, comes and lies beneath the tree, sleeping under the protective span of her branches. Our spiritual community is attractive like that. People are attracted to the strength of our community, they find shelter in the beautiful togetherness of folks united in common affection. Sensing the depth of relationships they find love embodied, at home in the world. Deep spiritual community is attractive to people.
INVITING
I remember when I was growing up I had my favorite tree. I could climb in her branches, eat lunch in her shade and sit in her coolness on a hot day. She was all I could want in a vital, attractive tree. It took more than one person to reach around her trunk. For that you had to invite others: and that is what I did. One day, out walking in the woods with friends, I lead them to my favorite tree. And soon, we were always meeting there -- it became our clubhouse tree -- making our plans for the day at the foot of this mighty tree. So, the spiritual community. In the forest of spiritual communities we are one among many. People do discover us, stumbling upon us in the forest. However, far more folks are likely to find us as we share the joy of our community with them. So, the challenge is there: let's go out and share this great community that we have found. This means that we will invite people to church. You might ask, "How can I do that?" It’s simple: Trust your community, the joy and consolation you have found here with your spiritual friends, your fellow church members. When you invite, just let others know what is precious to you; let them know of your experience of your spiritual home. More than any catalog of beliefs, or ideas of right or wrong, just let them know the joy that you have found here at First Congregational UCC.
When you consider spiritual community, it is sort of miraculous. Think: how many organizations in your life can you say this about: we are vital, attractive and inviting?
Blessings and Peace,
David
posted by FirstUCCSR at Tuesday, September 09, 2008
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