In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses the analogy of the human body as he writes about the emerging Church:
But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.
I came to New Canaan almost seven years ago, and in addition to being welcomed warmly by the Saint Aloysius community of faith to whom I was sent to serve, I was embraced by my sisters and brothers who minister in the other houses of worship and care facilities in this great town. What I love most about my friends in the New Canaan Clergy Association is their deep faith, their joyful spirits, and their humble approach to the work of keeping God at the center of the lives of those for whom they care. As a group, we bring a variety of gifts to the table: traditions, training, life experiences, and the fruits of personal and communal prayer. But isn’t it true that what’s most important is what we give once we leave the table? My friends in ministry give so much as they walk with their communities of faith to navigate a sea of change and challenge. Their creativity, commitment, and love heal broken hearts, strengthen doubting spirits, and raise people up to be who God wants them to be. That’s hard work, but it is literally life-giving work, and I am inspired by my holy colleagues over and over again.
One of the most life-giving experiences we shared as a clergy group was our Zoom time together every week during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to gather with our congregations in person, we decided to meet weekly to support one another as we tried to minister to our people without a road map. Each Wednesday when I looked at the beautiful “quilt” of colleagues on my laptop screen, I gave thanks for God’s good work in the midst of struggle. I gave thanks for the unity of spirit, and the ability to pray for those in our town who were having a hard time and those who were trying to make it all work. As Paul says in that quote from Corinthians, it was in this coming together that we saw “no division in the body” and we surely had “concern for one another,” as we suffered together and celebrated together the little victories along the way – like coming up with clever ideas to reach out to our isolated parishioners. Indeed, “if [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” What was the “take-away” from all of it? It’s the take-away from every challenging experience in life: we need God and we need one another!
As this newspaper becomes a part of our wonderful New Canaan community, I am delighted that our families of faith will have a voice in each issue. My reflection on the gifts and friendship of the clergy in this town is a way to remind us that our hope for unity, our desire for a kinder world, and our prayers for a true and lasting peace, come from the prayers and good works of all God’s people. We are indeed stronger when we are united, and better when we can call upon God who loves us through every adventure in this life and beyond. Please pray for those of us who lead and serve you. We would love to see you at worship, and please know that we love to pray for you all of the time. New Canaan is blessed in many ways; may we always take the time to be thankful to the One who blessed us into being and blesses us on our way.
