Dear Friends,
I was meeting with someone from the larger Boulder community this week. They were talking about how the institution they lead (not a church!) had to be very nimble in the pandemic. “No kidding,” I said…”us, too.”
Well, the truth is we didn’t “have” to be nimble, but, if we weren’t, it didn’t serve us well. This person went on to say, “but we’ve slipped back and become less nimble” since the end of the pandemic.
I feel like we are still trying (and often succeeding) at continuing to be nimble, even at 166 years old. It is what has kept us surviving (and thriving) into today.
When I look around and see the life and good work going on around the church, it feels like we are constantly trying to learn and imagine our way into whatever is next. We do that thoughtfully, and in considered ways, because we have wise lay leadership who point out where we are not prepared and where we are – they help us grieve things that no longer are, and they inspire us to dream new dreams.
I got this note from one of our lay leaders, Rich Saxon, this past week (in response to an article I sent he and Alex Roberts): “We have the traditional elements such as the organ and singing songs from the hymnal but now we include balloons and dinner tables at communion; cotton candy and ice cream trucks to complete the worship experience; introduction of different styles of music jazz, folk and contemporary themes; folks from the street reading us scripture; internet access of worship; interesting art displays decorating our sanctuary – I could go on but I’ll stop here. I think once the ‘Miracle on Spruce Street’ has reached fruition, the transformation of our sanctuary will provide even more opportunities to create a worship experience that will be instructive, enriching and inspiring.”
Our lay leadership not only inspires us to dream new dreams, but often they lead the way through their own lives.
Last week Jeanne MacVicar, our church council chair, invited a visitor (a law school student at CU, from Sierra Leone) out to lunch (with another church member) and then took her on a trip of Pearl Street. Jeanne is hoping to hold a meal at her home, to help make our visitor and new neighbor feel at home in Boulder!
I’ve been impressed the ways in which our Staff-Parish Committee (led by Michael Smith and Cindy Domenico) has welcomed and supported Lexi Fortna in her work as the Weaver of Generations, helping us imagine work that makes sense for this day and age with our children, youth and families!
Let’s keep being nimble (and every once in awhile jumping over a candlestick!).
Mike
Enjoy this preview of one of the organ pieces for this Sunday’s Concert of Celebration and Worship: Conversations from the Roosevelt Organ.
This week’s takeaway: Celebrate the nimbleness with which we have lived…and keep it going!