Category Archives: El Farolito

Monthly Update

May Farolito 2012

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VISTA DESDE EL PORTAL
Som os D iscipulos Para
Todas las N aciones
Rev. Chester C. Topple
“Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor”
(Romans 12:10)

How wonderful to see a number of newer faces in worship on Sunday mornings. Average
attendance in 2012 has been hovering between 70 and 80, which makes the sanctuary
feel quite full. Worship has been clicking quite nicely, even in our unpredictableness. I
overheard Ruth Simms–who’s been involved with this congregation to varying degrees
for over 20 years–comment on a recent Sunday about the “incredible vitality” of the
community. That’s awesome! Neat things are happening: God be Praised!
But, with some of these realities come changes for our community. With the challenge of
the apostle Paul in mind–loving one another with mutual affection and honoring one
another–I want to make some suggestions to help us grow.

  1. Learn one another’s names. At recent meetings with people who have been more and longer involved with the church than many, I threw out some names of people who had been coming recently, many of whom regularly for months. I was met with a lot of blank stares. I want to challenge everyone, from the recent participant to the lifelong
    member, to make an effort to learn — really learn — the names of those with whom
    you’re worshipping. Nametags are a help, and a hindrance. They help us with new
    names, but may hinder us from really learning the name. During the passing of the
    peace, instead of only greeting those you usually greet, consider greeting someone
    whose name you do not know. You can use the line: “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met
    yet, my name is Chester”– just remember to substitute your name for mine :-) . If you feel
    like you should know someones name, just say: “I’m so sorry, I know we’ve met, could
    you remind me of your name. Mine’s Chester.” A “not so good”question to ask is “Is this
    your first time at Westminster? Trust me, it can be really awkward if they’ve been around
    awhile and you have not.
  2. Consider where you sit. Do you welcome others on your pew? If you sit in the middle
    of the pew, that prevents someone looking for a seat from having to climb over you. It
    creates a space for people to feel welcomed.
  3. Invite someone to do something with you, be it church related, service related, or just
    to hang out. Pray about who this person or people might be; God will put someone on
    your heart. It’s amazing that just one shared experience may establish a bond that lasts
    for a lifetime. Some of us may feel like significant involvement with other church
    obligations limits our ability to connect with people – recent newcomers and old-timers
    alike. Yet, I believe, relationships in community are the reason we do church. Cutting
    back on other obligations to make room to grow in relationships may be necessary…and
    that’s okay.
  4. Consider those who aren’t around nearly as often as they once may have been.
    Where are they? What is happening in their lives? Maybe a phone call or a note could
    be all they need to be involved on a more consistent basis. See suggestion #3 above.
    If you’re someone who considers WPC your community of faith, but haven’t been around
    in a while, maybe reach out to someone you care for, just to check in.
  5. Finally, as a way of honoring one another–validate one another’s participation in the
    community as they choose to be involved. Avoid distinguishing: who is part of us and
    who is not. There are many ways people affiliate with any organization, and joining in
    membership is not the be all and end all in the 21st Century, even in the Presbyterian
    Church. Just because someone doesn’t come every (or any) Sunday morning at 11am,
    doesn’t mean they don’t care for and feel part of the community. Many people pray for
    and give money regularly to the community who are hardly ever around, even people
    who aren’t “members”. Some come religiously to only Thursday Taizé, because they
    prefer that style of worship. Some folks just can’t come around for whatever reason.
    How can we honor and love everyone in the myriad ways we participate?
    These are exciting times in the life of the congregation! Relax. Have fun! God is with
    us! Relationships are hard. Still, God calls us to love and honor one another. God calls us
    to be the beloved community, which through strong relationships, can remind the world
    of God’s love–a reminder we all need to hear on a daily basis.

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