As I write in the pre-dawn darkness, I am so grateful for this community of Holy Family. The services and festive stewardship kickoff gathering on Sunday were wonderful and were the result of the good and creative work of so many. A deep bow of gratitude to Loran and her team for a fantastic event. I am so very grateful for their energy, vision, and the necessary leadership to see that vision through to reality! As the old song goes, “There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place.” Indeed, there is, and I am so very proud of and grateful for each of you.
And thank you to Jacques and his team (Tony Militello, Terry Nicholson, Bruce Elliot, Andy Edwards, and all who jumped in to help!) for such a bountiful repast, done with excellence, grace, and hospitality! Wow! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Jim Braley’s stewardship message during the worship services was spot on and set just the right tone for the next phase in our efforts. Thank you, Jim!
In this season of giving at Holy Family, let’s promise, one to another, to remember that we are all leaders by virtue of our Baptismal Covenant. Leaders come in many forms and are based on our awareness of our gifts and graces. Among the most distinguishing characteristics of leaders is a willingness to give of themselves considering these gifts and abilities. Indeed, our own Holy Family has a long history of engagement in the community, I am reminded of this lovely poem by Wendell Berry, appropriate as we approach the Feast of All Saints:
There is No Going Back
– Wendell Berry
No, no, there is no going back.
Less and less you are
that possibility you were.
More and more you have become
those lives and deaths
that have belonged to you.
You have become a sort of grave
containing much that was
and is no more in time, beloved
then, now, and always.
And so you have become a sort of tree
standing over a grave.
Now more than ever you can be
generous toward each day
that comes, young, to disappear
forever, and yet remain
unaging in the mind.
Every day you have less reason
not to give yourself away.
While widely different in expression, the power of giving back is evident in our own community. One need only look around to see the Spirit of giving manifest in so many ways, from so many committees and individual parishioners who are contributing: from shaping our vision moving forward (“Lay led; clergy supported”) and countless individual acts of helping others and contributing to the ongoing life of the parish. These volunteers selflessly share expertise, time and talent to make our congregation all that it is. This connection to purpose and making a difference is rooted in our DNA as leaders…and again, each of us is called to lead!
Most striking is the effect giving back has on us. One might argue we do this for others and for the good of our community, but as it turns out, it is also good for us. In fact, there is some evidence that links these acts to improved well-being, including better physical and mental health. A recent study found that those who volunteer reported lower blood pressure and stress levels, less depression and higher self-esteem. A separate study found that people 55 and older who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44% less likely to die over a five-year period than those who didn’t volunteer—even accounting for such factors as age, exercise and general health. Research also has shown that generosity provides psychological benefits by stimulating parts of the brain associated with empathy and happiness. Compassion, empathy, and gratitude can be cultivated, and can change our neural pathways and neurochemistry
Giving back also encourages others to do the same. Instilling and sharing this part of us connects us and nurtures us as a leadership community. As we approach the season of giving and reflect on the year, let us also reflect on the power of giving back and how it can fuel and inspire us. Fostering this in others may be one of the most meaningful and enduring steps we can take as leaders. Be sure to thank those on the Nominating Committee who, led by Steve Franzen and Martha Power, have worked tirelessly to prepare us to call our next rector. And remember that each prospective candidate will take a close look at our financial well-being!
As such, leadership by giving back is a form of what theologian Merleau-Ponty called “intertwinement“–cultivating and adopting an ‘attentiveness and wonder’ towards the world. And our intertwinement with others extends, equally, to our relationship with the natural world – a theme that theologian Merleau-Ponty was increasingly drawn towards in his later writings. Gabriel Marcel referred to this as disponibilite’ –loosely translated as spiritual “availability”, or an openness to the other, readiness to respond with some measure of specific actions—giving among them.
So, look around Holy Family in the coming weeks, and look for opportunities to give of time, talent, and money. Consider joining a committee, or the choir, and pick up one of the wonderful new Holy Family shirts, hats, and hoodies. Wear them around the community with pride! Join us on Friday evening for the lovely and inspiring Rutter All Saints service. Let these words from 2 Corinthians (9:6-8) inform your own choices about leadership: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” As Jesus reminded us, he came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. I pray that for each of us, giving back can be one measure of abundant life. After all, “every day we have less reason not to give ourselves away”!
As Advent approaches, a season of watching, waiting, and hopeful anticipation, let’s be leaders together toward the common goal of strengthening Holy Family, and co-creating the next chapter of our lives together in this sacred place. Remember this week to exercise your sacred right to vote, keeping in mind our core Baptismal covenant to go in peace, and respect the dignity of every human being.
I’ll catch you later down the trail, and I hope to see you in church!
Blessings, Bill+