Worship Committee meeting

I attended a Worship committee meeting last night and heard many strong emotions - passion for worship was at the center of it. How is it that we can love God and still be harsh? I know that we normally would not intentionally be hurtful, but last night there were hurts. I know that we are an open and loving family, and yet we disagreed with each other, and that disagreement caused hurt. Tears were shed, voices were raised, the tendency to want to be understood come across in anger. How is it that we, who know God to be a unifying force and who makes all the boundaries disappear, become divisive? What is ironic too, is that we just celebrated World Wide Communion, in which we know that Christians all around the world are celebrating Holy Communion together. I was part of it too. How could I have caused further hurt? How could I have, in attempting to put make a position, caused tears and anger? Today, my heart is heavy and the tears are there.

I witnessed a love for others and a willingness to clarify and a willingness to accept and love unconditionally last night too. It came through the tears, it came through the hugs, it came through the ability to hear what was really being said underneath the words that were being said. It was apparent as we left the meeting, emotionally wrung out but walking together.

It wasn't our best day and yet it was our best too. We were honest in our sharing; granted, we could have been much more tactful and less emotionally charged, but we were honest. We all love the same God. We want to be respectful and honor God. That's maybe the crux of this: how do we be respectful and honoring as well as open and inviting?

I am so grateful for the wisdom of that group. I am grateful for the patience and understanding and love that pervades that group. I am grateful for the strength of faith. I am hopeful that the hurts and tears will be healing and lead us to an understanding of who we are as disciples of Jesus. And while I don't like the conflict, I know that we will grow through it, we will be truer to God, we will be better for the conflict.

Let us pray that God will lead us in the way. Let us pray that we will be open to the direction of the Spirit. Let us pray that we will continue to share and talk through the dynamics of our faith. Let us pray that we will have the courage to listen. Let us pray that we will have the wisdom to sort through what is being said and not said. Let us pray that we will be unified in Christ, the Body of Christ. Let us pray that we continue to cry as we grow. And God, grant that we may see the bigger picture here, that we will love each other, that anger or frustration or disappointment will not tear us apart but will forge us together stronger in our commitment to serving You.