Dentists, FaithWorks, and The Pilgrimage

I visited my dentist today, who had seen my first KC Star FaithWalk column and recognized me, which was rad. We talked about how organic bananas keep chemicals out of the environment and sometimes lead to better prices for farmers. Thanks, doc!

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Jody, her spouse, a congregant, and I are just back from the Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC's biennial FaithWorks event in Osage Beach. It was way above average as these things go. Racism and white privilege came up in presentations and discussion four or five separate times; it's a live issue, and I feel good that we can raise it in our conference. I had some good conversations on the margins. Valerie, our storyteller, was incredible; I'll post specifically about her, and her impact on our storytelling here at St. Peter's, as it develops. I usually come home from these events completely wiped and full of existential angst, but just 80% wiped and an average (mid-low) level of angst this time.

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You may or may not have heard about the Pilgrimage, a new Sunday night worship experience we are beginning this Sunday (Oct. 29). Check the St. Peter's web calendar for details. The service will be in a home, followed by a potluck (every week!), and will give those of us seeking to deepen our role as stewards of Creation an opportunity to do so in a close community.

The focal point of worship will be "circles of trust," small not-quite-discussion groups in which we can wrestle with our lives as stewards in Christ's service. The circles are based on the thinking of Elton Trueblood in "Alternative to Futility" and Parker Palmer in "A Hidden Wholeness," adapted to our purpose and context. Below is our draft of "safe markers" - guidelines - for the circles. I'd like to know what you think.

Safe Markers (Like Mary, hold what you hear in your heart and ponder it - Luke 2:19)

1. Speaking is invitational. This is not share or die.
2. Appropriate responses are mirroring ("I heard you say...") or pattern recognition ("I percieve a pattern in what you are saying..."). This is not a dialogue. No judging, fixing, advising, or setting straight.
3. When recognizing a common call or readiness to move toward shared action, the appropriate invitation is "Could we continue this conversation beyond the circle?"

Do you have questions? What's clear/unclear? Anything left out?

The goal is for participants to share, as they are moved by the Spirit, how they are working out their role as a steward in Christ's body (the Church universal) and what they might be feeling called towards. It's discernment. It's a safe space for the true, inner self to speak. Those who are not sharing we intend to listen first, and respond only in order to reflect back to the person sharing what they've said so that they might see their own wisdom more clearly. The circles are not a brainstorming or planning session; hence # 3.

Once again, your open and honest feedback and criticism would be much appreciated. Our Pilgrimage begins this Sunday, and will certainly evolve as we go along, but we want to start in the best way possible.

See you,
-h