Greetings Dear Reader,
Over this past weekend I visited three very different
churches. The range in differences is
extreme. One service was completely liturgical,
another traditional protestant with some peculiarities, and the third very free
form. In the diversity of approaches to
worship I also saw a very clear common thread.
Combined in these three services I encountered perhaps two
hundred people. Each of the churches was
small and each held that significant factor that it was impossible to be
anonymous. For most of the last two
decades I have attended churches that were very large and where anonymity was easily
attained.
Since I am emotionally quite vulnerable these days the lack
of a place to hide was fearful. The
unshielded attention that visitors get in small churches was overwhelming. The questions meant to be welcoming and kind
felt invasive and penetrating. I could
feel that I had no place to hide from the people who journey with me.
We are not meant to hide.
As we journey back to the Father, we are meant to find and love our
fellow travelers. We are intended to be
loved back by them. When we are
vulnerable or hurting this can be daunting.
When it is, we must embrace it.
Through these three services things rose in my mind that
both heal and haunt me. In looking over
the journey so far, I keep finding things that have been good. I also keep seeing where I have been blind to
my failures and weaknesses. I need to spend
some time with these things. Your
company and counsel is always welcome Dear Reader.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home
owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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I understand. One of the most terrifying places I visit, even in a congregation with which I am familiar is the "sacrament" of coffee hour. It is heaven for extroverts Hades for basically shy people and even worse if you find yourself standing in the middle of the room alone holding your coffee surrounded by warm conversation without openings to fill. But upon reflection I guess that says more about the congregation than me! We need to leave holes in our circles, like an empty chair at our tables to welcome the timid.
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