Welcome to this conversation
7 Wonders - Episode 1: The Wonder of BEING TOGETHER. The 7 Wonders of the ancient world are hardly the only wonders of this world. It’s no surprise that the first thing we’re wondering at this summer is being together. Many of us celebrated it together at Minnehaha Falls but for all of us, it’s worth wondering at as we figure out being together once again.
Episode 1: The Wonder of BEING TOGETHER
After 65 weeks of virtual gatherings, Fabric is able to be face to face again. But as you know, while the pandemic is on the run, it isn’t gone. That leaves a lot of ambiguous feelings. Are you excited to be getting back together AND a little freaked out about it? Welcome, us too. Let’s figure out this transition together.
Being together is tricky. Here is something to remember:
Being together always has a Physiological, Social, and a Personal Emotional aspect to it. They are all real and need to be listened to. And no two of us are at the exact same place with these aspects.
And here is something to practice:
We have found that 3 simple practices can help us make this important and awkward transition.
Be Sensitive to how others are feeling about making the transition to changing restrictions.
Ask Questions when you aren’t sure what someone else is comfortable with.
Speak Up if you are uncomfortable in a situation.
Another ambiguous feeling you may have is that you are excited doing things you couldn’t do for 15 months AND you are just fine not doing them all. That isn’t something to get over, that is something to listen to.
How can we use the distance from ‘what we did’ and ‘how we did it’ to make Fabric better suited to our needs and the community we are in?
What did we learn about our need for community that we want to make sure we hold on to?
Psalm 131 is poetry from the heart of people who understood ‘being together’ at a time when the only way to connect was by being physically present with them. No texting, no Zoom, no phone calls, not even mail delivery.
O Lord, I am who I am, Yahweh, my heart is not lifted up.
My eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great or marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a child quieted at its mother’s breast,
Like a child quieted at its mother’s breast is my soul.
Oh Israel, those who wrestle with God, hope in Yahweh,
From this day forth, and forevermore.
Something to Consider: How do these words suggest that we find the peace and stillness of self, and what is physical intimacy's role in it?
By choosing to be together in community two things are true that we may not realize:
You, at least in some way, see yourself as worthy of being with us. You are lovable, precious, a wonderful person. In short, WE NEED YOU!
And,
You don’t consider yourself done yet, complete, you are still a person under construction. In short, YOU NEED US!
Those two truths work together nicely!
Something to Consider: People often consider their insecurities, worries, problems, even their dreams and accomplishments to be things that make them different from everyone else. Rather, we all have these in our lives. When we come together we each bring our versions of them with us. They unite us, they don’t separate us. How have you allowed those experiences to silence and isolate you, rather than opening you up and connecting you for support and to support?
Thoughts about Being Together.
The word “Incarnation” means “In the flesh.” It is how God is known and experienced. Jesus was “God in the flesh” not because it is a doctrinal necessity, but because when people rubbed shoulders with him they experienced the presence of what life and the world was all about in him. They ‘glimpsed God’ and ‘experienced the kingdom of heaven’ when they were with him.
“Jesus isn’t around us today that we would have that experience, so where do we see God today? In each other. In you. In me. In this beautiful place. I have become convinced over the decades that I cannot look deeply into the eyes of another person without seeing God. And I cannot deeply contemplate God without seeing the face of my neighbor.” Greg Meyer
In Matthew’s Gospel (his writing about the life of Jesus) he reached into the wisdom of prophets long ago and said that he would also be called Emmanuel, which means “God WITH us.” And at the end of that book the final words are Jesus’ final words, “I will be WITH you, forever.”
“Not, I will be with you...on zoom next Sunday at 10:30. Or I will be with you, watch my twitter feed. Or I will be with you, see you in the next episode. No, Jesus is saying, ‘I’m here, hold my hand.’” Greg Meyer
Treasure being with others! Don’t just be with them, value their presence. Valuing the people with you is both the starting point and the whole ball game. Without it, all the improvement in the world is just a checkbox. We don’t need checkboxes. We need each other.
Something more to spend some time with: Who have you lost from your life during the pandemic so that you can no longer Be Together with them - at least as you once did? Get in touch with the feelings that produces. You may have had to hide them. Find someone to share that loss with.
It is human scale connections that will help us navigate.