THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “Tough Times Never Last..."

And I never dreamed that I would find myself quoting Robert Schuler in a newsletter column, but these are indeed extraordinary times. Between the Bailout and the Stimulus, the constant talk in the media of unemployment, foreclosures, collapsing consumer confidence and the possibilities stock market crash, and the technical distinctions between “recession” and “depression,” we need few reminders that these are indeed difficult times. But the truly pressing question is how should we respond? What, if anything, can we do to make things LESS difficult, both for ourselves and for those who have come to church seeking support and inspiration in these challenging days?

This is the great paradox of life in a faith community. On the one hand, there are few among us whose lives have not been touched by this economic downturn. We’ve seen the value of our homes and our investments drop, felt the pressure in the workplace, some of us have even lost our jobs and are looking for new ones in a tight employment market. And what happens to each of us individually carries over into the life of the church as well, where we have also felt the impact of the declining value of our invested endowment funds, as well as the pressure to live within our means even when our resources fall short of our needs.

Yet at the same time, this is also a moment where people are seeking out the church, not only for inspiration and emotional encouragement, but for tangible assistance and support in their efforts to get back on their feet again. The church is not a social service agency, and never will be. Yet we can play a very significant and influential role in the lives of individuals who need a helping hand as well as an encouraging word, and for whom a small amount of assistance goes a very long way.

I’m not talking now about the folks who haunt every church community, dropping by asking to speak with the Pastor in hope of a handout. I’m talking about people who may have originally dropped in just to get warm and get a bite to eat, but who now for all intents and purposes are active members of our congregation. They worship with us every week, listen to the sermon and light candles during the candlesharing, perhaps even put a little something in the collection when they have it. Some of them you may know by name, others merely recognize by appearance; many offer little evidence of how hard their lives really are right now. Yet they need the church in ways that are difficult to define, yet of inestimable importance to their very survival.

How we choose to respond to this dilemma says a great deal about who we are as a church. Do we choose to hunker down, cutting back and withdrawing into ourselves until these tough times have passed? Or do we continue to open all the window and the doors, to embrace our ministry of radical hospitality, and continue to serve as “A Warm and Welcoming Place in the Heart of the City?” I know the answer that works for me. And if each of us will just do what we can, I’m confident we will be equal to the challenge. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” It’s that essential “toughness” that has enabled First Parish to survive for as long as it has, and will insure our continued survival here far into the future........twj

A letter to the Members and Friends of the First Parish in Portland Maine

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THE ECLECTIC CLERIC - “All of Them"

There’s a “trick” trivia question which basically goes something like this: “How many months have 28 days?” The answer, of course, is “all of them” -- it’s just that most months have a few more as well. You can blame it all on the arrogance of Julius and Augusts Caesar, who in renaming lovely summer months after themselves, felt that those months also deserved an extra day as well, and “borrowed” them from an obscure month in the middle of winter where no one would likely miss them anyway.

But whatever else February may mean to you, this February 19th will mark for me the one-year anniversary of my life as a cancer survivor. This first year, I’m told, is an important milestone -- not only to a lot of the statistics improve dramatically for a one-year survivor when compared to the odds for someone newly-diagnosed, but a lot of the most dramatic changes have also taken place as well, which means that whatever subsequent adjustments need to be made will probably be a lot LESS dramatic. Statistically, at least. Because one thing I’ve discovered in the past 12 months is that Cancer really does seem to love drama...

But think about it. This past 12 months I have lost both my ability to walk and my ability to drive, which have obviously compromised both my mobility and my independence...dramatically.... These abilities may still improve (and in fact, I’m counting on it), but in the meantime I live with by disabilities now every day. I’ve had to give up my apartment, and all the things I associated with that: the freedom to come and go as I pleased, or strolling around the West End and here on the peninsula in general; playing basketball, riding my bicycle, shopping and cooking for myself (or taking myself out for pizza or wings!), even my little dog has died. So much has changed for me, it’s hard to keep track of it all.

And yet I’ve also learned so much as well -- especially about the relationship between dependence, independence, and interdependence, and the essential connection between generosity and gratitude, and the importance of learning to live life one day at a time. These are lessons I’ve known about in my “head” for a long time, but to actually have lived with them for a year now gives them a very special poignancy, and provides me with the kind of insight that can’t be ascertained by thinking alone.

And then there is my ministry. Again, I feel very fortunate that good disability planning and the hard work and cooperation of so many generous and well-intended souls have made it possible for us to hire our talented Ministerial Support Team, and for me to continue to serve in whatever capacity I feel most called and able. As a result, First Parish has both grown and deepened as a Faith Community in the face of an unexpected crisis which might have easily torn it apart. It hasn't’ always been easy, but we are stronger and better people for it. In a word, we are survivors...and perhaps that one word alone says it all.........twj