Valuing Community.

I'm re-reading one of my favorite books. Courtney introduced us to Wendell Berry a few years ago. I've enjoyed looking for his books when we browse through book stores here and there and I occasionally find his treasures hidden in the book-stacks and just have to buy one and take it home.

Hannah Coulter was my first Wendell Berry book - and I think it remains my favorite. Probably because it's written from a woman's perspective. The themes he touches on are farming, relationships, community, the land, and an older, slower way of life that's not desired, valued or protected anymore by the young. His answer to the question: "has progress and technology and education really given us a better life?" - is no. So much of what he has to say in his books about Port William reminds me of the life of a church - of our church. When I read about the characters in his town, I see them reflected in the people we know, in the community we have. He writes about a simple life - but a full one - a life filled with meaning and significance. A life that may appear small - but one that has depth and breadth and one defined by what's truly important - love and relationships.

As I read, I can't help being reminded of the community we have as a church- and the 25 years we've been here - right here- in the middle of a metropolis- and I can relate to some of those themes. Maybe not farming...but valuing and building a community in which we belong to one another. Being in one place for a long time, raising our children together, being in the "trenches" of life together, sharing our struggles,  pains and sorrows, celebrating our joys and victories and helping each other survive. Fighting the notion that progress (or maturity) means "moving on" from here to somewhere else. We've spent years cultivating gratefulness for all the wonderful blessings of this beautiful and sacred life. Even being grateful for those who have come, been a part of us and have since left - each leaving their mark on our community and impact on our lives. The pain and sorrow we've experienced over the years have shaped us and are embedded into the fabric of who we are individually and as a community- and it has made us stronger.

I want to share with you some "snapshots" of community life:
Almost every Sunday for 25 years, I have worshipped with, prayed with, and served with the precious people in our church. I've been in community groups, care groups, youth groups, marriage groups, book groups and Bible studies - where we have dug into God's word, encouraged and challenged each other to grow in our walk with God - We've confessed our sins, asked for forgiveness, prayed for each other, extended grace and forgiveness, offered encouragement and help, gentle correction when needed, and most importantly, we've given and received love... Mentoring and being mentored. Counseling and being counseled. Side by side. Always pointing each other to the Savior - the One who loved us first and causes us to love one another- the One who is our only hope in this life.

Our love and commitment to God has had many practical expressions as well:

Over the years, I've been a part of a quilting group - where we made quilts for our own children or for new mamas as shower gifts. I've participated in all day tamale making parties, cooked and canned with friends, spent afternoons helping young wives and mothers with their housework and cleaning routines or new moms with nursing issues, or an overwhelmed homemaker / mom with organizing,  menu planning or child training tips.

We've helped many friends pack up and move entire households: load moving trucks, unpack truck loads of boxes, set up beds, organize kitchens, put together bedrooms, scrub bathrooms, paint dining rooms, wash windows and refinish wood floors.

I've babysat for young moms, sat in living rooms helping couples hold their marriages together; I've listened, comforted and prayed for parents as they cried over their wayward teens.

We've stood in Judges' chambers 4 different times with friends adopting children - gathered as a community- sometimes packing the room to overflowing -  to support, celebrate and affirm the forever love of these parents toward these children. We've attended bridal showers and weddings as young couples pledge their love and faithfulness to each other and we've watched them start their own families. We've welcomed new babies into countless families with baby showers-loading them up -not only with gifts - but our love, support, encouragement and commitment as well. We've helped friends with the process of searching for and buying homes, learning to be wives and husbands, or raising children.  We've sat and wept with with other friends as they've suffered through the pain and confusion of singleness, betrayal, divorce, infertility, or unexplained illnesses.

We've participated in dozens of kindergarten, 8th grade and high school graduation ceremonies and  senior dinners where parents tearfully and joyfully give speeches of love and encouragement... celebrating these wonderful milestones and cheering on the students who've worked so hard and are now moving on to the next stage of life.

For 25 years, we've been learning with, living alongside and loving this community, sharing our lives, witnessing baby dedications, baptisms and professions of faith; partaking in communion together, celebrating our union in Christ, and our union with each other.

Over the years, I've cooked and brought food to the sick and families with new babies - and I received a couple of months of meals when I was so desperately sick myself. When I was in the hospital for a month, the church rallied and made sure my family was taken care of when I couldn't care for them myself.  I distinctly remember being able to rest in the knowledge that our community would help us. When it looked like I was dying, friends told me later that they were thinking of how they could help Ron raise our daughters without me. And, when I didn't die, but was so sick and weak for months, faithful friends showed up to put me in and and take me out of my wheelchair and drive me to the dialysis center and sit with me for hours talking to me and making me laugh to distract me. Other friends drove me to parks and gardens and wheeled me around so I could enjoy some beauty- and one very kind and loving friend drove me to Phoenix to make sure I wouldn't miss the birth of my first grandchild!

The friends that I've raised children with, we now are enjoying welcoming and cherishing grandchildren into our lives together. Each of us celebrating and savoring every new and beautiful life that's added to the next generation and we share in and know each other's joy.

I learned to be a wife and mama from older women in the church - gaining and growing in a vision for the ministry of motherhood. We raised our kids with good friends who were in the same season of life.  And now, as an older woman myself,  I am a part of helping young women learn to be wives and mamas too.

Many people throughout the years with various gifts and skills have invested in our community- in us and our children. We've had: (just a brief sampling).

• Scientists who've taught our children math, biology, chemistry and physics. 
• Musicians shared their skills in singing, guitar, violin, piano, cello - using them for our worship service and teaching and investing in young musicians and training up the next generation of worship leaders. 
• Artists who've not only taught our kids, but also created beautiful artwork in our homes- one member painted a mural for me on our girls' bedroom walls and another painted a beautiful oil painting for the church and one sewed a community quilt with several junior high girls. It hangs in a prayer room - so beautifully sewn with their names written in the corner.
• Contractors, plumbers and electricians have mentored our sons, helped us with building our homes and remodeling the church. 
• Florists- who shared their knowledge with us twenty years ago- are still having an impact on our community - because we still use what they taught us in helping young brides on their wedding day as we purchase flowers in the LA Flower District, cart them home and work as a group to make bouquets, corsages and centerpieces. 
• Women with culinary skills help us put on brunches, graduation dinners, wedding receptions, baby showers, guest luncheons and funerals. 
• Wonderfully creative teachers who have taught us (who homeschooled) how to be better teachers to our own children and who help us with Children's Ministry.

For twenty-five years, we have walked with this community of believers through every beautiful, messy, painful, sacred, stage of life: pregnancy, birth, childhood, adolescence, college / career, single adulthood, dating, engagement, marriage, working moms, SAHMs, having babies, raising children, schooling them, preparing them for adulthood, empty nesting, seniors, caring for our aging and dying parents.

Through the years, we've been to Celebrations - caravanning through the desert to get to Flagstaff or Las Cruces or Phoenix for church wide retreats;  Women's Retreats, Marriage Retreats, Men's Retreats, Youth Campouts and Girls' Retreats; Camping together as a church, weekly beach days when the kids were small, weekly hiking treks with moms and kids; vacationing with friends, camping together in Kings Canyon...

We've walked together in learning to weather sickness, trials, betrayals, desertions, suffering and even death. And we've grown in cherishing friendships, loving enemies, enduring trials, fighting for joy, walking in obedience, trusting God, resting in His sovereignty and embracing the "hard eucharisteo."

We've had 25 years of leaning hard into God, digging into His Word, applying it to our lives, growing in our faith and obedience. 25 years of sharing life, love, family, work and worship - together as a community.  25 years of living a "Long Obedience in one direction" (Eugene Peterson book).

Maybe I'm feeling a little nostalgic because I'm getting older or because Ron and I have been reflecting and reminding each other more recently of what a wonderful life we've had as we look to celebrating our 25th year of being here in Pasadena- on July 4th.

25 years in this community, in this church, with these people -  that God has Providentially and graciously given us. We are so very grateful.

Maybe reading Hannah Coulter again reminded me of what's important and what needs to be remembered and treasured and celebrated.