Reading Together

Rev. Joshua Patty
Regional Minister and President

As we begin this new year, I know that many ministers are anxious about what we are facing. We are worried as we continue to navigate the response to the COVID pandemic and, hopefully, the possibility to gather together more. We are worried about what the church will look like in the months and years ahead, including how many people will participate and how much support there will be for ministry. And we are worried about the deep divisions in our communities, especially as we seek justice for those who are oppressed and value those who are marginalized.

We need to face the truth about our circumstances, and this truth includes both significant challenges to the way we've always done things and invaluable opportunities to be more the church and people God is calling us to be. Some of this truth is scary, especially when it points toward change.

I am confident that to face scary truth, we need to find spaces where we can confidently be vulnerable. (We also need to better create such space for those we serve.) As part of this, I am inviting all of us to read A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer. Palmer carefully explains his experience developing Circles of Trust, where people are invited and supported in the process of facing such truth within themselves.

Palmer is nurtured by the Quaker tradition, which honors the integrity and value of each soul. His approach recognizes that transformational change is an individual action, but it also recognizes the need for community to invite honest reflection and courage to change. To me, that sounds an awful lot like Jesus' approach and, at our best, it sounds like church.