Belonging
and Becoming
by Rev. Kate Atkinson
Recently, at our monthly clinic for
homeless people, I had a conversation with a man who was waiting to see the
doctor. I told him I was going to share with you what he said to me:
“This is a wonderful church,” he
said. “This is what a church is supposed
to be. It’s warm and accepting and
loving and non-judgemental. I’ve made
some bad mistakes in my life, but when I got out of prison, you welcomed me. You fed me and you gave me the clothes I
needed. And now, you’re helping me get
the medical care I need. This is the
best church I’ve ever known – and a lot of people agree with me.”
When I asked him his name, he said,
“It’s Steve; Steve the Grateful!”
People often tell us how welcome
they feel when they come to St. Paul’s. “I
didn’t have to pass any tests,” one woman said. “You just opened your door and
invited me in.” And many people comment
on our mission statement: “It really is
a place to belong, whoever you are, just as you are.”
Starting on October 1st,
we’ll be offering the spiritual formation series we call “Belonging and
Becoming.” That title is significant
because it describes the two most important elements of being a part of this faith
community. The first part, “belonging,”
is how we want people to feel from the moment they first enter our building.
I believe that people feel welcomed
and accepted at St. Paul’s because they experience the love of God, expressed
through God’s people in this place. That gives them a real sense of belonging.
That brings us to the second part
of “belonging and becoming.” If, as it
appears, we’re successfully living out our mission statement and welcoming
newcomers into the St. Paul’s community whoever they are, just as they are, why
do they need to become anything different?
The simple answer is, they don’t.
A genuine, non-judgmental welcome, by definition, means that we accept
people as they are; we make no attempt to mould them into something
different. But God is a different story!
As we become more and more at home
in this community, God’s Holy Spirit goes to work in us. God never rejects the
person we are, but God does empower us to develop our potential. “Becoming”
doesn’t mean striving to meet standards set by other Christians; it means
opening ourselves up to become fully the person God created us to be.
At
St. Paul’s we can journey together to become more and more the people that God
is calling us to be – and our “Belonging and Becoming” series can help with
that process.
It is especially valuable to people who are new to the
Episcopal Church, and those who are considering being confirmed or received –
but everyone can benefit, even if you are a “cradle Episcopalian!”
The
series takes place every Wednesday evening in October, beginning with a simple
supper at 6:00 and finishing by 7:30. The first five sessions concentrate
on spirituality, the person of Jesus, the image of God, reading the Bible, and
the history of Christianity. The last three sessions, looking at
spiritual gifts and a “rule of life,” will take place during Advent. You are encouraged to sign up in advance so
we know numbers for the meal.
Kate +
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