Virtuous Circles

     Have you ever heard yourself utter that sentence? Perhaps to your children or a classroom of rowdy students? I have. Once, when my girls were little and were taking a bath together, I shouted this line or something like it when I peeked in and found them eating chips and salsa in the bathtub. They must have been having some kind of party, because, as God is my witness, there were gobs of salsa on the wall at the level of my head. After the initial surprise, I was more amused than angry, but I didn’t let on, and I let them be scared for a little while. We have laughed about it since, although they don’t really like it when I bring it up. But that’s the privilege of being a parent: when your children do something . . . shall we say, unusual, you get to embarrass them about it for the rest of their lives.

     Today, however, I want to ask this question in a different tone. To the members and friends of Community UCC I say, “What in God’s name is going on around here?” What are we doing that communicates God’s grace, reflects God’s goodness, shares God’s passion for justice, and demonstrates in tangible ways God’s love for the world? Where are we getting it right? How can we do more of that?

     Those last two questions lie at the core of a change strategy known as appreciative inquiry. Instead of looking at our weaknesses, or at all the things that are wrong with our lives or our church, we intentionally focus on our strengths and the things we are doing right. By eliminating the negative energy as much as possible and highlighting the positive, the theory goes that we will create virtuous circles that lift us into greater realms of possibility rather than vicious circles that send us spiraling ever deeper into dejection.

     Let me hasten to point out that this sort of thing doesn’t come naturally to me. I am a pessimist at heart, a curmudgeon. I like to joke that for me the glass is not only half-empty but also cracked and leaking. It is hard for me to maintain a disciplined hopefulness.

     What I have to remind myself continually is that the faith we share is grounded on hope, and, as Paul points out, “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that the bad news we see in the world and in our lives is not the last word. The last word belongs to God, and that word is love.

     As we seek to give flesh to the vision we prayed for all last year, I want to get your opinion on what in God’s name is going on around here now. I want to hear what you find life-giving about being a part of this community of faith, what it means to you to be a disciple of Jesus, and how you see your passions and gifts contributing to the advance of God’s commonwealth in this time and place.

     When I started as your designated term pastor in 2022, I made an effort to meet with every member of the community who was willing to sit down with me to talk about themselves and their relationship with the church. I propose to do the same thing now that, three years on, I am your settled pastor. I will be glad to meet with you in your home, in my office, or at your favorite restaurant or coffee shop to talk about what in God’s name is going on around here and how we can work together to create some virtuous circles and begin to chart our future course together.