What’s Going on at the Church
“Weighing Truth and Life”
One of the seminal approaches to dealing with people in pain or sorrow or illness is called the “practice of presence”. It is about accompaniment. It avoids platitudes and giving advice or making judgments about another person’s circumstances. It counts on the comfort that is experienced by people in pain from the simple knowledge that they’re not alone. The practice of presence is an important part of our faith. There are many examples of it in both testaments.
These days there are massive protests happening in our country and all over the world. There is an important place for such gatherings and the way that truths can be spoken to power in such gatherings. The following excerpt offers a surprising, different approach to consider, which is, the practice of presence in disagreement. It is written by university professor Brendan Taylor for Sojourners magazine.
“Thomas Merton observed, “We tend to think that massive protest is all that is valid. This is false. Genuine dissent remains individual. Quieter forms of dissent and engagement allow us to return to a conversation after an argument or to continue meeting when no agreement has been reached. Political life will always involve disagreement, but it is less likely to fracture when people know they have to keep showing up together. This is not to suggest a retreat from national or global responsibility. Attention to the local does not absolve us from caring about Gaza, Ukraine, or any place marked by grief. But it clarifies the scale at which most of us can act with integrity. Local presence becomes a way to ground our wider concerns, not replace them. It reminds us that far-flung concerns don’t take the place of commitment to our own towns and neighborhoods.
In a culture too often shaped by resentment, the practice of presence calls us to the generosity that makes civic life possible: giving time, withholding judgment, listening, learning from one another, and allowing people to return after conflict without being made to feel ashamed. Patience and generosity are all the more needed in times of crisis. This kind of slow, ordinary repair doesn’t fit neatly into ever-escalating social media discourse, but it can reestablish the conditions that make meaningful discussions possible. It brings our attention back to the scale where substantial change can take place. This is how people stay connected despite a culture that encourages us to escalate arguments and walk away when things get difficult.”
Blessing and Peace, Ed
Looking to donate to our thrift sales?
If you have any furniture to donate, please take a photo of what you have and send the photos to office@1stpresrahway.org. At this time, we’re not accepting clothes or shoes.
Members usually work on Wednesday’s for our sales from 10:30 am -1:30 pm. If that’s not a convenient time for you to drop off donations, other arrangements can be made. Please email the church office and your request will be forwarded to the “sales crew” so they can respond to your inquiry.
As always, thank you to all who donate. Our sales have been a great success this year because of you!
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Please read these guidelines about Squier Hall and the formation of the USRC Board of Directors, who will be overseeing the groups meeting in Squier.
As part of the guidelines, please use this form if you have any concerns so that they can be addressed.
Interested in Getting Involved?
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