Catching up

Oh, dear, we're behind on posting the news from the Mission Congregation of Grace Church. We met in February, but forgot to report back to you, our readers.

Monthly gatherings of the Mission Congregation allow for what does not seem possible, given time constraints, during Sunday worship. As we debrief ourselves on the chapter of Listening Hearts for the month, issues come up for which we have the luxury of time to explore more fully. In the February meeting we began to do a theological reflection, the subject of which I no longer remember, but the subject led the gathering into their feelings surrounding the ever-present possibility of Grace Church closing - honest feelings like anger and frustration. We offered all those feelings to God, to whom we pray constantly, "What are you calling us to do in this place?", in sharing the sacrament of Eucharist.

Yesterday, as we gathered, a group of 7, one shared that she looks forward to Mission Congregation's monthly gathering, for the very reasons mentioned above - time for study, for sharing, for deeper discussion. I found myself wishing that vestry meetings could be like this instead of the business meetings they are expected to be. What would a church look like whose decision-making board spent deep time in reflection?

The 7th chapter in Listening Hearts proved to be very fruitful. It offered concrete direction - listen to those you usually tune out, silence is for waiting on God, keep silence solely for the purpose of honoring and receiving the Word, which is Jesus. We reflected on what a world that listened, that allowed for deep silence, might be like, which led into reflecting on the church's purpose, which is to meet the spiritual hunger of the world.

I then proposed that the true purpose of gathering each Sunday was not only to worship and thank God, but for the people to bring with them the stories of how they had served God that week, share them with one another, the failures as well as successes, and receive support for the week to come. We wondered, then, how we might bring that into Sunday worship.

After we shared Eucharist, the group asked how things are going with the street ministry proposed by a deacon-in-training who has a ministry of companionship among those who live under various bridges in Norwalk, including one only three or four blocks from the church. I was able to report that I have this week made contact with the deacon in Boston who began this kind of ministry, Ecclesia Ministries, and with the priest in New Haven who is part of the network of congregations linked to that original Boston ministry. The support network is, thus, being developed and people in the Mission Congregation of Grace Church are looking forward to being part of that ministry.

We continue to struggle with how separate we feel from others in the congregation who do not seem to want this "more" which we share, but we realized, as we looked through the history of the church, beginning with the Gospels, that it has ever been thus. This is why it remains so important that each person who shares in Mission Congregation also continue integrally related to and involved in the everyday, everyweek life of Grace Church.

Our next gathering is Saturday, April 4. This is a week early, so as not to conflict with Holy Week.