Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Religion is Connecting: Part 9

Portability.  I scared a bunch of good people last week by using it to describe how I manage to see my calling and my work and my relationships here at Advent.

Portability means I say yes to the call to be rector while at the same time understanding that God may call me to another mission another ministry any second.

Portability means I do my work as I have no other sure chance to do it.

Portability means I am open and honest in relationships and that I love others unconditionally because we may not see each other again.

That principal is built into the ordination rite and is how it works that bishops have seats and deacons are servant ministers and priests get to move around and gather the people so they can look like the body of Christ to each other and to the people around them.

Of the three orders, priests are the ones that should move.  But here is something we overlook or forget:  priests aren't the only ones that move.  The people move, too.

So what portability means is that exactly because parishioners may be gone tomorrow priests who themselves will come and go are tasked in our ordination to lead and model a "going all in" with others we might miss tomorrow.

Holding back from love, relationship, care and celebration because we are temporary inhabitants with each other is to cut in half something that is already shortened by our being human and broken and finite.

Jesus's words at the table were to "take, eat and drink."  Not keep or preserve or measure out but get it now and go.

So let's ALL admit and celebrate OUR portability and let's all go all in with God at the Church of the Advent while we can.

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