New Life
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of going to a movie. It’s an indulgence of time and money that I don’t often make. We joined some friends and settled in to enjoy Tom Hanks, in “A Man Called Otto.” I haven’t read the book, but the movie can certainly stand on its own. In some ways it is kind of predictable, but I laughed and cried, and when the film was over left feeling happy to be alive and more mindful that ever that many people live on the shaky line between life and death. One person can influence which side of the line pulls you. So much of life is unpredictable, isn’t it? As it happens, I sat with two separate families as their loved ones edged ever closer to death in the 18 hours before this movie, so I was kind of ripe for feeling reflective about how life can so quickly change.
Sometimes, we can see the endings if our eyes are open to them. A relationship, an organization, a job, a life, each of them has a beginning and an end, no matter the attachment we have. Conversely, a ray of hope, a breath of fresh air, a new thought, a sense of purpose and connection to reality, all of those things can lead us to a brand new chapter.
Over the past year I’ve had the pleasure of working with a search committee, as they try to envision the needs of their communities of faith and find a match in ministry. Joyously, they accepted the name presented, and are anticipating a new beginning. Maybe even a kind of resurrection! It is such an exciting time! A glimmer of hope (or so it seems)!
The church really is like a body though. It can have a fresh opportunity, and possibility for new life, but unless it is willing to live and work into the relationship, the hope will be short lived. Relationships only flourish when both parties put their whole selves into them.
Otto gets a second chance at life, only when he is able to see that there is something for him to work toward, and then, realizes how fleetingly short and precious life is.
We don’t know actually, what is in store for communities of faith. We know that staying on the same track will only bring the same mediocre results, as we edge closer to death. Even the healthiest of congregations are living with disastrous demographics. One minister cannot change that. It will take a culture shift.
I’m just into a sermon series that will tackle some forbidden topics: sex, money, politics and religion. These are things we prefer not to tackle in church, because the conversations are taboo, or uncomfortable at the very least. The reason I am doing this piece of work, is because these topics challenge me to imagine the world of Jesus differently. Jesus calls his disciples into a time of great social change. The traditional rules and realities are being challenged. Together they imagine a way for the spirit to affect how they live in community, and how their actions might make a difference. It must have been a scary time, but somehow the spirit of hope, and potential for new life, was greater than the reality of death. I’d like to think that we can embrace that same spirit, and not just expect others to take care of things, but by doing what we can, each of us, in the many communities that make up the body of Christ. A faith for today depends on it.
Rev Donna Tourneur ministers among the people of Trinity United Churches and their outreach partners.