Many of you know that my ministry has taken an interesting detour this year, as I am doing fewer one-off projects (retreats, consultations, Sunday mornings) and instead am part of two temporary teams: a sabbatical ministry team in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a transitional ministry team in White Plains, New York.
I said yes to both of these longer-term ministries this year (5 months and 11 months, respectively) in part because of relationships but largely because my sense of these two congregations is that by and large they are healthy. And I wondered, what does it mean to work with congregations who are healthy and want to do some good work together?
It reminds me of my career assessment (a psychological assessment in preparation for the ministry) where the assessor asked “have you ever seen a therapist when you weren’t in crisis? Imagine all the good work you can do when you’re not bleeding.”
I have been working with the good people of White Plains since August, and their hard-won health (a lot of reflection and relationship repair work) is now allowing them to consider deepening their commitments to shared ministry and widening the circle of concern in preparation for the search for a new settled minister. When that work is a little challenging, it doesn’t harm them or break them apart but rather invites them to wonder and curiosity. And I’m watching them take this work seriously - from the generative conversations and thoughtful analysis, to the expressions of welcome, belonging, and trust they are sharing with others (including guests in their pulpit).
Officially, I start work with the good people of Ann Arbor in November, but I spent this past weekend with them and could literally feel the trust in the room. On Sunday morning during worship, their settled minister, Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, told the story of how an open staff position led to a major event’s details to be dropped, and how several times when people wondered if they should cancel, he replied that he trusted the congregation to come forward to help - and indeed they did. He spoke of the trust he had in them, and I saw - on Sunday morning and in meetings during the weekend - the trust the staff, ministers, leaders, and congregants had for each other. They too have hard-won health, built over years and years, but it’s evidenced in how they support and care for each other - both as individuals and in their roles in the congregation. And now they are thinking deeply about the role of the church - and their congregation in particular - about what their role is in a quickly changing world.
Health can happen, and I’m seeing it happen before my very eyes. And I think about all the things that get in the way of health - distrust, trauma, grudges, financial concerns, etc. I often say we can’t get it right outside our walls until we get it right inside our walls, and I’m beginning to understand how vital that really is; we have to tend to our own homes before we can help others with theirs - and doing only the outside work means we let things fester and grow harder to heal.
What one thing can you tackle today to get back on the path to health? You matter. Your congregation matters. I love our congregations and I want you all to be healthy and loving and trusting and able to fulfill your mission in your communities and the world.