It was almost 9:00 pm and the Worship Team meeting had been going on for two hours. We were dealing with all the mundane details of schedules and volunteers; and all the difficult details of COVID risk, of new technology and new policies for attendance. All the while we were trying to keep in mind the core purpose of Sunday worship: being welcoming to all; supporting each other through life’s ups and downs; stimulating our intellectual and spiritual selves. I had some grouchy moments in the meeting that my team members didn’t deserve. We were all tired as the meeting was ending and it was time to do our check out – what are you taking away from this meeting?
I looked around at the dedicated lay leaders who had just given up their Wednesday evening for this work. I thought about all the decisions we had made together, the problems we had solved or begun to solve, and the relief that I felt. “My takeaway from tonight is that I don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes I get stuck in that belief and that’s unhealthy.”
Is this true for you too? Do you get stuck thinking that you have to do it by yourself? I keep getting stuck there, even though I know that reaching out for help and collaboration is the best practice. This is a feature of the culture that we live in, and as such reflects whiteness and maleness. Not exclusively, but largely, women are better at working together and asking for help than men. Not exclusively, but largely, traditional and indigenous cultures value community above the individual. Therefore as I confront this go-it-alone tendency in myself, I am resisting white supremacy culture and patriarchy culture.
The Worship Team meeting reminded me of this through the messy and joyful process of decision making and scheduling, of agreeing and disagreeing. The work of community of collaboration.
PRAYER:
Spirit of Life and Love, bless our committee meetings. Bless our Fellowship board meetings. Bless our school board meetings. Bless our family meetings and our work meetings. May the divine presence of messy collaboration, of figuring out together what is best for the common good, bless our gatherings.
Spirit of hyper independence, I banish you. Begone from here, the notion that I can and should do the thing by myself without consulting with others, without asking help, wisdom and advice from others. This notion does not serve my greatest good.
This I pray, in the service of greater love and justice for the whole world, with no exceptions.
Amen.
I looked around at the dedicated lay leaders who had just given up their Wednesday evening for this work. I thought about all the decisions we had made together, the problems we had solved or begun to solve, and the relief that I felt. “My takeaway from tonight is that I don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes I get stuck in that belief and that’s unhealthy.”
Is this true for you too? Do you get stuck thinking that you have to do it by yourself? I keep getting stuck there, even though I know that reaching out for help and collaboration is the best practice. This is a feature of the culture that we live in, and as such reflects whiteness and maleness. Not exclusively, but largely, women are better at working together and asking for help than men. Not exclusively, but largely, traditional and indigenous cultures value community above the individual. Therefore as I confront this go-it-alone tendency in myself, I am resisting white supremacy culture and patriarchy culture.
The Worship Team meeting reminded me of this through the messy and joyful process of decision making and scheduling, of agreeing and disagreeing. The work of community of collaboration.
PRAYER:
Spirit of Life and Love, bless our committee meetings. Bless our Fellowship board meetings. Bless our school board meetings. Bless our family meetings and our work meetings. May the divine presence of messy collaboration, of figuring out together what is best for the common good, bless our gatherings.
Spirit of hyper independence, I banish you. Begone from here, the notion that I can and should do the thing by myself without consulting with others, without asking help, wisdom and advice from others. This notion does not serve my greatest good.
This I pray, in the service of greater love and justice for the whole world, with no exceptions.
Amen.
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