I've been meaning to ask...

We believe everyone is beloved, shaped from the dust of the earth and the breath of God. Everyone has a story to tell. Our stories are messy and beautiful, painful and hopeful—being written and rewritten over time. In order to build connection and trust, we need to listen to each other’s stories and experiences to learn who and what has shaped us. We also need to feel seen and known for who we are. In this first week, we hope to affirm the particularity of our identities while also acknowledging our common ground as we learn to commit to disrupting our assumptions and staying curious.

This week’s question implies that all of us have known pain and suffering. In order to cultivate connection, we must first get curious about the pain others carry and the pain we carry ourselves. Before we can act, we must first acknowledge and believe the pain is real, for bearing witness to each other’s pain helps us cultivate compassion.  We believe God draws close to us in every moment of suffering. Through this week’s sermon, we commit to vulnerability and compassion.

This week’s question recognizes that we all have needs and that we need each other. It reminds us that we each have unique needs; we can’t assume to know what is best for others. It also prompts us to reflect on our own needs, priorities, and desires, which can sometimes be difficult to discern from one situation to the next.  We believe God calls us to care for one another—in seasons of joy, transition, and hardship. We commit to listening and being present with one another.

This final question is not meant to be the end of the journey; instead, it creates openness to explore together what is next.  While stepping into the next chapter, our hope is that we keep cultivating curiosity, asking questions, having conversations, and seeking connection in order to humanize and care for each other. Ultimately, this final question invites us to foster hope and imagination because we believe courageous conversations have the power to change and transform us. We also believe God bridges connections in unexpected ways.