Building a Better World – 10/31/24

Weekly Reflection from Rev. Mitch Hay

In my Chaplain work for Harvard University and at Lahey Hospital, I hear a lot of people tell me, “I don’t think I have to be part of a church to be a Christian.” That’s true in a very narrow sense, and I respond in two different ways.  The counselor part of me makes sure I respond with something like, “Hmm. Tell me more about that.”  But another part of me wants to exclaim “Have to a part of a church? Dude, you get to be a part of a church!” One of the greatest benefits of learning to be a disciple of Jesus is that we don’t have to do it alone; we get to grow and deepen as disciples in a beloved community of fellow travelers who can provide support and guidance on our faith journey. And together, we continuously get to build this community.

Harvard-Epworth Church has begun our stewardship theme this year, Building Beloved Community.  It is a reminder from Martin Luther King of what it means to build a church community that is deeply rooted in the love that God has for us, a Love that brings freedom and wholeness, a Love that builds up and draws in, a Love that affirms and uplifts.  For the next three Sundays in worship, we will explore the three Hebrew terms that the prophet Micah uses to describe Beloved Community:  doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.

As part of becoming Beloved Community, during worship last Sunday we participated in a Spiritual Gifts Inventory to discern more clearly what gifts God has placed into this particular congregation.  If you weren’t able to be present, we invite you to take this Inventory at this link. Once you’ve completed it, please email your top three gifts to us a [email protected].  Together, we’re understanding how we can be part of God’s shalom in this congregation, in this community, and around the world.

As we do this, we begin to enact King’s vision of Beloved Community, as described by Tony Hunt of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership: “engaging in acts of compassion and justice as means of living out our faith and loving our neighbors.”  Sure, we could try to do this alone, as individuals.  But how much better to do it together!