Hanging Together On This Journey
Table Talk
Setting the Table
Take a moment to center down where you are for a time of reflection and prayer. Take a deep breath. Check in with yourself. Allow yourself this moment to sit away from the stresses that surround you, and simply be present.
Read the poem by Maya Angelou below and picture the places and the people with whom your soul feels at home.
Alone by Maya Angelou
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.
Food for Thought
Anyone who knew my Grandma, knew she loved her family and yet, in her upstairs master bathroom, taped to her mirror, she kept a print out of a quote which read … “Families are like Christmas lights. They all hang together, but half of them don’t work and the rest aren’t all that bright.”
I found this quote as I was preparing to write my reflection for her memorial service. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to be slightly offended! But as I considered this quote and the fact that she kept it as a daily, humorous reminder, it confirmed for me what I find most sacred about my grandma’s way of gathering people in - that in her gathering, she sees us and loves us just as we are. Her gathering us together was a labor of love both for us and for herself - understanding the deep desire of all people, including herself to be seen and known, to be fully-loved, and to find home.
This became even clearer to us when, not long after she died, we came across a note she had written to her church community, a group of people she had loved for many, many years. She entitled it “Gathering.” In it, she said,
Sometimes it seems extra effort is needed to gather us together, but mostly it is a natural and smooth process coming from a need to be in touch, to be aware of the cares and joys, our gladness and sadness. It is a need that lets us know this simple fact, that we just plain need each other!
She is so right!
We are moving toward the beginning of Lent. The season of Lent is like a spring cleaning for the soul that traditionally begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. It is a time to examine and open our hearts - a time to see ourselves fully and honestly - and a time to let go of that which keeps us from knowing more intimately ourselves, one another, and God. We might typically practice this kind of self-examination on our own, but we might also find that in sharing this journey with others, we will experience opportunities to see ourselves more clearly.
We are certainly learning this in our larger world, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, our schools, and our churches - that in these times of change, in times of difficulty, in times of grief, we are learning better who we are and who we can be through the experiences and stories of those around us. The truth is, we just plain need each other! We need connection and community - we need to be known and to know others - we need to live believing this truth, that we shine brighter when hanging together than any of us would on our own.
This week, we challenge you to find a moment to gather together. Maybe it’s a cup of coffee in an outdoor setting where you can be distanced. Or maybe it’s a virtual game night. Here are some great virtual game ideas. In whatever way makes the most sense for you, just find a few moments to be with others.
If that’s not what you’re needing right now, maybe take a few moments each day this week to write down the name of at least one person in your life that makes you shine a little brighter when you are together.
Blessing
God of love, you never intended us to do this life alone.
You actively call us to one another.
You call us to seek out one another in love.
Help us in this season,
To open wide our hearts and arms
So that we might offer rest, to extend welcome, and find ways to be together.
A little Table Talk for your table...
What is your favorite memory of a gathering? What made that experience special?
How can we create spaces that allow others to feel fully seen for who they are?
Life is busy and very different right now. Why is it still so important that we find time for one another? Give each other ideas of ways you have been able to do this.