Recently I was at a store checking out and the very nice cashier asked if “We would be using our store credit card today.” I had to look around as I left the house by myself and had not picked up anyone else along the way. I was alone. There was no ‘we’. I responded as nicely as they asked, “No, we will not be using our credit card today.” Not deterred by that (too much), they asked if “We would be rounding up our total to give money to support the starving folks in (insert 3rd world country) today.” Again, I said “No we will not be doing that but thanks for asking. We do all of that through our church and know exactly where the money goes each and every time.” At this point I was hoping they would ask for details and I could elaborate on our Give Away the Plate practice and our monthly Lawrenceville Co – Op collections.
However, at this point the sales person was done with me and ready for the next customer. They had let of the comradery goal and were now focussed on completing my transaction and moving on to the next person.
The month of September is about building belonging. Not the kind of community belonging where one fulfills a need and in doing so gets acceptance for a time being. We are building beloved community and that is vastly different.
In the piece entitled, “Come Into Our Circle” Rev. Michael Collins says,
Come in from the margins. Come into our circle.
Here, we stretch wide a doorway of belonging.
No need to polish your edges or hush your truth.
We gather not in sameness, but in shared seeking.
Take a breath. Set down what you carry.
You are welcome, wholly and wildly, in this place.
(Shared with permission from Soul Matters)
This month in every service and gathering in our building we will be looking for ways of shared seeking and opening the doorway of belonging as wide as we can.
Join us!
~Lydia Patrick
