In-between times...

I'm sitting here trying to finish a sermon on "The Supportive Community." It sounds like an easy one, but it isn't. To get beyond the cliche understanding of what a supportive community might be is difficult. And when do I get to decide what actions are "supportive" when I am the one needing support? I'm sure you all have had the experience of trying to support someone going through a rough time and either you got the sense that what you were doing was not helping, or the person you were trying to help TOLD you it wasn't helpful. Maybe we should develop the habit of just asking, "What could I do to be helpful to you at this time?" More on this in a moment...

Oh, I could write about more shootings and the protests that have followed. But I really don't know what to say, at this point. I do think that some kind of "national" standards about how and when police should use deadly force would be helpful, and this idea has been endorsed by many in law enforcement. I don't think "stop and frisk" is a good idea. It will just drive an even bigger wedge between cops and citizens.

And then there's the election. How could something so very important get us to the point where we just want to move to another country? Why are we doing this so poorly? One candidate just calls everyone who disagrees with him all kinds of names, and the other usually speaks in "lawyer" language (carefully worded propositions?), dulling the senses of most listeners. And don't tell me to vote for one of the fringe candidates. That's just a dumb idea, as neither of them will be president. Period. I might as well just burn my voter registration card as to cast a vote for a candidate that has absolutely no chance to be elected. Enough on the elections...

The Pirates are probably done for the year. McCutcheon had a "blah" year, what looked like promising pitching turned out to be smoke and mirrors, and enough dumb errors were committed--especially on the base paths--that it might call management into question. Maybe it was just a bad year--the storm before the calm. The Steelers are looking good after two games. They face a rookie Ben-lookalike with the Eagles this week. Could be interesting. People are getting excited about the Pens again, but need I remind you that, while they really haven't lost any talent from last year's team, a hockey Stanley Cup repeat is the toughest one in all of sports? Shuffleboard, anyone?

Ministries and the program year at St. Paul's are off and running and doing well. Our finances, year-to-date, are about par for the course over the past three or four years, which is not to say real good. Giving has increased moderately, but then so have expenses. Oh well, we just keep trusting God and our people to make the good stuff continue to work! Our proposed new purpose, mission and vision statements are being rolled out, including the preaching series on our congregational values that have been incorporated into the new verbiage. So far, so good. We hope to have final statements ready for Church Conference approval on November 15. Incidentally, our previous PMV statements guided this congregation for over 15 years!

Back to "The Supportive Community." What might that look like to you, the reader? If the church is to be a supportive community, what does that mean? Do individuals within that community "rise up" and offer to help you in your time of need? Does the existence of a praying, caring "church family" serve as a kind of safety net for you while you feel your life is being shot out of a giant canon? Or does an attentive congregation provide examples you may follow in getting out of the mess you feel you are in? One thing about it: It's easy for a church to SAY "We are a supportive community." Being that is another thing, and my sense is that, because the people--the objects of our support--are individuals, being supportive will mean a great variety of things, and it will often be kind of trial and error to get it right. Maybe it is supportive just in the very idea that people are willing to try, with all their hearts?

One image I have is that little party game where you have a "subject" lay down flat on her or his back, and all of the rest of the "party" each puts just two or four fingers under them, and with very minimal effort, the raft of collected fingers actually lifts the person upward. Wouldn't it be nice if our churches could be "supportive communities" in this manner? Unfortunately, not all of the fingers in question would be lifting, in many of our churches. Some would be poking, others pointing, and some even making obscene gestures, leaving the few legitimate "lifters" carrying way too much of the weight.

Enough "In-between times" for now. Hopefully, next blog I'll have something to write about...Shalom, Yinz.