Clergy from left, Pastor Deb Church, Deacon Amy Schmuck, The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired, and Pastor Nicolé Raddu Ferry. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com
By DEACON AMY SCHMUCK
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
During Bethlehem’s recent outdoor worship this past Sunday at Urban Park, we held a short blessing of the backpacks for our students and any school staff present that would like a blessing to start the new school year. Students shared that some were feeling many emotions about the school year, some were excited, some nervous, some happy, some sad. We acknowledged all those emotions are good to process and talk about as we enter any time of transition. This is especially true for those going to a new school, going to school for the FIRST TIME, or even just having a new teacher and classroom with all new classmates. All this is a lot to navigate!
We also acknowledged that God is with us through all of it and can be a source of calm and grounding through any tough times of change. We gave the students and staff a backpack tag to remind them of God’s love and blessing in their lives and that tag reads, “Be curious. Ask questions.” (credit goes to www.illustratedministry.com) It strikes me that this tag is also a great message for all of us in our current societal and political climate. May I be so bold as to say, “Be curious. Ask questions.” is an excellent mantra for us to embrace as we continue to navigate this election season.
Perhaps this mantra may act as a touchstone for calm, or even a new way to approach the chaos of living in “unprecedented times”. Perhaps we can use the mantra, “Be curious. Ask questions.” as a pause button on our brains (and our mouths and typing fingers), and refrain from the impulse to jump, leap, or bounce to unfounded conclusions too quickly. Could it be as simple as a book bag tag to give us a tool to use in our conversations with colleagues, community members, family members, friends, and neighbors? When we truly listen to one another, perhaps we may be reminded to slow down, breathe, and be curious and remain engaged rather than dismiss someone’s differing point of view and make presumptions about their character. Dear neighbors, I too need this mantra in my life.
Listening to one another is not true listening when we are working on our own response in our brain while they are still talking. This does not get us far in the effort to reach true human connection and possible mutual understanding. We have been out of practice on how to actively listen in order to understand one another, because our ability to quickly type a response to the person on the other side of our computer or phone screen holds less personal risk, and it is easy, isn’t it, to make assumptions about their intellect, their morals, their character based off what they share on social media or a political position they have publicly taken.
The next three Sundays after worship, folks at Bethlehem will engage in a discussion on “Civic Life and Faith” and we will practice some of this listening to understand one another through this process. You are always invited to join us for worship at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings, and our Adult Forum is held after you get your cup of Lutheran coffee. It is my deep prayer for our communities, our families, our workplaces, our churches, our nation, and our world that we will continue to reach toward one another, as we seek to learn and grow in faith by being curious, asking questions, and TRULY listening to one another’s answers. How would it feel to help heal a relationship by listening? Come, Holy Spirit, Amen.
Editor’s note: ‘All Shall Be Well’ is a column written by local women clergy including ELCA Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, M.Div., retired (czoebidd@gmail.com); Pastor Nicolé Ferry, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (pastornicole@bethluth.com); The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, Associate Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith, Santa Fe (rev.lynn@holyfaithchurchsf.org); Pastor Deb Church, White Rock Presbyterian Church (pastor@wrpchurch.com) and The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Rector, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (momaryannhill@gmail.com) and Deacon Amy Schmuck, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (deaconamy@bethluth.com).
