Both Sides By Rev. Nina D. Grey September, 2003

In his book, The Multigenerational Congregation, Gil Rendle writes about how society at large focuses on its diversity, targeting advertising and programs of various kinds toward particular generations or age cohorts. Sometimes we, too, focus on differences, developing programs especially for children, youth, young adults at college, and seniors at Montgomery Place. Rendle says that people of different generations may have difficulty understanding each other. They may apparently be speaking the same language, but because of different life experiences, influences, and attitudes, the words may have somewhat different meanings. He encourages learning each other's 'languages'.

This came home to me last Sunday (August 24) when, while sitting in the hallway after church, one of our young people told me enthusiastically that he was soon going home to play Sims Unleashed. I had to go onto the Internet to find out what he was talking about. Having now read some descriptions, I suspect I still don't know. Indeed, sometimes we have to stretch to grasp something about another generation's life experience. A congregation, Rendle says, is called on to be responsive to people across the whole span of life. It is good to be with the younger and the older, good to be together in worship, social hour, meetings and gatherings, hallways and offices and homes, good to experience anew the variety of wonderful beings that we are. As we begin the 2003-2004 liturgical year and my fifth year of ministry with our beloved congregation, I reflect back on where we have been and ahead to where we may be going as a faith community. I am delighted that we will engage in developing Vision, Mission and Covenant. I think our collective mission and vision will help us shape a congregational life in ever greater alignment with our growing communal sense of self.

As we begin that process I have no doubt that we are a congregation committed to discovering unity within our diversity, whether related to generational differences or other manifestations of our variety: race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, ability, economic circumstance, learning styles, and so on. Our unity becomes stronger as we learn more about others' experiences. Discovering both our common and differing needs, we can become more responsive. Each of us can feel a greater welcome and join as full participants in our shared life and ministry.

We will have many opportunities in coming months to practice the ministry of welcome. I am pleased especially to welcome Millie Rochester. Interim Minister for Religious Education. The ministry of welcome includes respecting the different ways we learn and grow, worship and nurture our spirits, and reach out to others. That ministry means cherishing the gifts each has to offer this community and being respectfully curious about who each of us is. May we be warmly receptive and welcoming to each other, ourselves, and the strangers who are on their way to becoming friends, co-seekers, faith journeyers with us. May we worship, learn, grow, work, play, eat, and enjoy the richness of our religious community, in a spirit of common endeavor and a readiness to discover the growing edges of our vision.

In faith, with love,

Nina