Human to Human

What a treat to host a group last Friday and Saturday. What a treat to influence their journey and to create nuanced layers of community together.

It was the Annuitant Visitors Program for the United Church of Christ. Mostly retired pastors and their partners. It’s an impressive outreach that has at it’s core, love and community, witness and support, belonging and becoming.

The AVP was meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah this year for what is an every other year in person meeting. It’s my colleague Krista Betz that invited me to create with her, to help grow this gathering from one that delivers information (health plans, philanthropy, insurance needs, etc) to one that does that, AND, discovers meaning and purpose together.

I loved being part of the group. I loved their appreciation for the most simple of formats to connect together. So often this is the case in groups — they are hungry for a bit of purposed spaciousness together.

Cafe was one of those formats, asking questions about what retirees really want and then connecting that to program possibilities. It creates learning. It also creates wonder together. And it does it on behalf of people named — that’s the middle picture above. Yeah!

Saturday morning I walked in downtown Salt Lake City. From one hotel where I was staying. To another, where I was working, hosting a particular conference segment for a group. I had a little extra time. So, my pace was more of a stroll.

The above sidewalk art exhibit is what I encountered. “You are here.” I love the pointing to the red bench. If you look closely, the black and white signs each name a polarity or a binary. “Believe / Doubt. Inside / Outside.” I love the collage of it.

And I love the wisdom. Humans live in all of these complex polarities. I find that so often my work in life and my life in work is building consciousness and clarity to use the binary when it’s useful. But also to reject the binary when it is silly and narrow.

We humans — I don’t feel we resolve the polarities. It’s not about reductionism to one team or the other. We learn to appreciate their complexity. And learn to remember that even in all of that, there is a here to be here in.

Yup. Thx Pema Chodron.

“What I have realized through practicing
is that practice isn’t about being the best horse
or the good horse
or the poor horse
or the worst horse.

It’s about finding our own true nature
and speaking from that,
acting from that.

Whatever our quality is,
that’s our wealth and our beauty;
that’s what other people respond to.”

For an upcoming event in which I’m hosting pastors, the beginning of three days is a worship service created by some of the program leaders.

I don’t quote scripture often in this blog. But I am today, the scripture that is theming that opening service.

It’s Isaiah 55:12 from the New King James Version of Old Testament.

For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

My contribution to this program is largely about creating connection among the 90 that gather. And learning. And community. It’s about inviting story and reflection. It’s about animating purpose together, in community. It’s about what you can do for a couple of days in a room together that you can’t do alone or at home.

I won’t be tracking the context of Isaiah 55:12 as much as the pastors participating. Yet I love the launch that points to these qualities of joy, peace, singing, celebration.

My friend / colleague Krista Betz, Director of Leadership Initiatives, tells me how much she loves working with this group of pastors. I’m excited to jump in.

Joy of connecting through partner conversations, a world cafe of learning, some witness of learning.

Peace that is personal. Peace that is shared. Peace as an orientation to belonging. Peace within found through curiosity together.

Singing — there will be that too. I’m bringing a song from Susan Osborne, Chain of Life, that I used many years ago in some Berkana work. Still gives me goosebumps to hear it.

And celebration — fun to think of the way trees clap and wave. Celebration isn’t just cake with candles. It’s a commitment to loving what is alive.

Here we go.