“An emergency is when a stable situation destabilizes. It’s when it becomes clear that the way things were is not how they’re going to be… An emergency can involve a terrible loss or it can bring about magnificent transformation.”
You never know what’s going to happen on a Sunday at North Parish, do you?
Last week, it was an unexpected fire drill which is, I guess, the best kind of fire drill to have. It definitely caught your minister off guard since we had arranged for the drill to occur this Sunday at 11 am, not last Sunday at 10:45. You all did beautifully, as did the children. I will work on calmly giving instructions from the pulpit rather than standing there saying “What?!!” Thanks to all who returned to the pews for the rest of the service after that brief intermission.
Thanks also to the Green Gardeners Debb and Janet who handed out packets of wildflower seeds to plant! As we began our Earth Day celebrations, we shared what several of you imagine and envision as an earth-healthy future. If you missed it or want to read those visions, they’ll be up on the white board in Freeman Hall with plenty of space to add your own visions around them.
Sharing the words of eco-writer Rebecca Solnit, I suggested three things that are necessary for planting seeds of possibility: a state of emergency, imagination, and community. We only need to work on the second two, because the first one’s already been handed to us. Ta-da! Last week we shared what some of us imagine; this week we’ll spend a bit more time reflecting on how we are engaged in communities that help water tend those seeds of possibility. If you want to share something with me ahead of the service along those lines, send me an email!
I’ll also be deeply grateful to every (anonymous) person who fills out a survey about the diversity of belief and practice among us, which is part of my project for a Doctor of Ministry in Social Justice program. Thank you in advance! The link to the survey is here.
With joy for the blossoming dogwoods,
Rev. Lee
This morning I’d like to suggest three things
that are necessary for planting seeds of possibility in this time.
And the first one is something we don’t have to do anything about,
because it is already here: a state of emergency.
(Let’s take a breath!)
The environmental writer Rebecca Solnit says,
“…emergencies often get us out of being stuck.
Although we tend to fer them, they’re not always bad…”
She continues, “An emergency is when a stable situation destabilizes.
When the house catches fire, or the dam breaks, or an institution implodes…
It’s when it becomes clear that the way things were
is not how they’re going to be…
An emergency can involve a terrible loss
or it can bring about magnificent transformation.
And while it’s unfolding, the outcome can be impossible to foresee,
or it can depend on what you- or we- do.”
Isn’t it interesting to think about emergencies
as a pre-condition of transformation?
Does it shift the feeling in your body if we think of an emergency
as a potential window of opportunity?!
It’s a sort of jiu jitsu move, this idea of taking advantage of an emergency-
using the weight, momentum or strength of an oppositional force
to neutralize and re-direct an opposing reality.
If the first requirement for magnificent transformation
is an emergency big enough to get folks attention,
I think we’ve got that covered, in more ways than one!
That brings us to the next prerequisite for planting seeds of possibility:
imagination.
To make an appointment with Rev. Lee, click here.
Email: RevLee@northparish.org
Phone: 978-687-7948