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This I Believe ... This I Believe by
I grew up in the United Methodist Church. My father was a church musician and I was as close as one could be to being a PK without actually living in a parsonage. Retrospectively, that I went on to seminary was not a big surprise. What is a surprise to me is reading the words I put into my Credo—or belief statement in my final year. Considering who I am today and my belief that there are many paths to guide our lives, it surprises me that I wrote these words: "God did not have to take away our sins. God could have let us bear their burden rather than to bear the burden of the cross . . . Yet, removal of sin was necessary . . ." I no longer believe in the doctrine of sin or that Jesus was God in the flesh. I no longer believe that our next world existence is tied to a physical resurrection. I believe that people are born inherently good. I believe that we make mistakes and that the consequences we face are human in nature. I believe that situations in life bring tragedy and pain, but that beneath that is a desire for hope and an amazing resilience to continue on. My "ministry" is no longer formally in the church. My work is with people who are dying—children as well as adults. From them and in my own life, I have learned about the reality of loss and pain. I have seen the redemptive nature of the human spirit that causes people to hope even when disease, war, hatred, and abuse stand in the way. Over the past few weeks I have been privileged to sit at the feet of a dear woman who survived the Holocaust. She lost 37 members of her family and all the hopes and dreams she could imagine as a teenager. And yet she isn't bitter. From her voice and through her eyes hope and joy live that no one can extinguish. There is a children's book that my daughter and I read when she was young that comes to mind. The book is Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney. In the book, her dad tells her to do three things: 1) to explore the world, 2) to make the world more beautiful and 3) to settle down by the sea. For me, these words profess some of my most basic beliefs. One is that we have been given a beautiful and plenteous world. I believe that it is our job to care for it; to explore it; to revel in its beauty and to be open to what it has to teach. Second, I believe in planting flowers and trees. But making the world more beautiful means touching the human side as well. In helping people to confront death without fear and to come to terms with the gifts of life, our world becomes a more beautiful place. Third, to make a home by the sea is a metaphor to encourage us to care for ourselves. I believe in making my home a sanctuary where the physical environment nourishes me. I believe in the restoring power of love and cherish the gift of family and friends. I believe in knowing my limits and knowing when it is that I have to say "no." Keeping balance is crucial. So believing and giving are all connected—at home, in work and here at church. This is what I believe and this is why I give to First Church. |
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