Words from Rev. Joseph Boyd on the theme for the Month of April
| From Rev. Joseph |
| April’s Theme: Embracing Possibility |
| “I am neither an optimist nor pessimist, but a possibilist.” Max Lerner April’s Theme: Embracing Possibility There’s something about the word embracing that reminds me of the move of going toward our life, instead of away from it. As we celebrate Tenebrae and Easter this month, I think of Jesus embracing the feet of others, literally holding them, washing them, with attentive tenderness. I think of the women who stuck by Jesus’ side through the unimaginable end of his life, and embraced his body afterward, wrapping him in burial cloth. I think of the ‘good thief’ who embraces a new possibility by confessing that he has come to a belief that is beyond his crimes and current suffering. It’s a bold, everyday move to embrace possibility like this. Tenebrae is one of my favorite services because it welcomes the parts of life that often we want to turn away from: Darkness, Shadows, and Gloom. It’s typically celebrated on the Thursday or Friday before Easter, when lit candles are extinguished after a gospel reading until the whole congregation is left in darkness, and the tomb is sealed until Easter Sunday. For me, this is a reminder of the times when we felt certain we’ve reached the end of the road: the end of a relationship, the end of a career path, the end of an identity of some sort, and we are not sure what possibility awaits us going forward. This is a service that walks with us and shines a light on those parts of our lives, and sees them, paradoxically by getting us comfortable with temporary immersion in darkness. It’s a part of the process, and an important part. It’s a beautiful service in its straightforward simplicity. We will host this service Thursday, April 2nd, at 7:30 pm. Of course there are many ways of embracing possibility. I think the first step sometimes may be coming to terms with the ways we unintentionally inhibit possibility through fear, and beliefs that keep ourselves and the world smaller than they both actually are. I think embracing possibility in a sense is learning to let go of control, and allowing life to be beyond our current understanding of it. This might take a certain amount of trust, and I think our congregation is one container to build that kind of trust, to test our current understanding of ourselves and the world until we can experience more of it. One last thing I want to say in this writing is I have learned the depth and breadth of embracing possibility by being part of people’s lives in this congregation. I have witnessed countless times where there have been harsh endings, and seemingly no clear possibility in sight. And I’ve witnessed our members and friends embrace the life they have, and out of that has come a possibility that was beautiful and beyond my imagination. I’ve witnessed it so many times now, that I’ve come to actually count on it. There is always more for us, more life to be found and discovered, if we’re willing to embrace and be embraced by others. In Faith, Rev. Joseph |