Both Sides By Rev. Nina D. Grey February, 2004

We are at the mid-point of winter, I guess. But I won't have to guess for long because it's almost Ground-Hog Day and soon we'll know just how much more winter we'll have, to enjoy (or bear). I'm getting ready to take an intensive week of my Doctor of Ministry program at McCormick, and I realize that I am about at the mid-point of that, too.

My Doctor of Ministry program is focused on pluralism in the faith community. While my eventual thesis may be on multi-theological pluralism (how to be a church that truly draws on and nourishes many different perspectives), I've concentrated so far on multigenerational pluralism.

Being a church of all ages is a challenge for most congregations. But being a church of all ages is also a blessing, if we will draw on the gifts and insights of those of every age and if we will nurture and strengthen the opportunities for growth for every age.

This past month, Wallace Rusterholtz died. He was almost 95. Wallace was a life-long learner. He was most interested in adult education and not very comfortable with very young children, his family told me. But as a child grew a bit, and he could carry on a conversation with him or her, he was able to expand a child's horizons. His grandniece, Kim, said he was awesome, the way, at 70, he used to walk so fast she could barely keep up. On the particular walk she was remembering, he took her to see a beautiful, immense grand old cathedral of a church. One of our church school teachers, Ivan Lappin, said that even when Wallace didn’t understand or agree with exactly how we were doing lifespan religious education, in the end he always voted to support it.

We already have some good adult education happening, thanks to various groups in the church: the Anti-Racism class facilitated by Finley Campbell, the dialogue circle of the Charlotte Lackner Anti-Racism Committee (CLARC), co-facilitated by the whole group; the Welcoming Congregation Class of Interweave, facilitated by Joe Cherry and Frieda Stillerman, the Great Books discussion, facilitated by Gloria Gnatz and Kennie James and the inspiring First Forums, coordinated by Richard Pardo, chair of the First Forum Committee.

My Doctor of Ministry program includes some projects and one of them is to work with Rev. Millie Rochester to re-constitute the Adult Education Committee and begin planning Small Group Ministry. We want Small Group Ministry to appeal to people of many ages and interests. For this and other enhancements of our lifespan education program, we'll want to draw on the gifts and blessings of every age.

Our task as a faith community is to renew common vision for our life together, vision that will nurture the possibilities for people of every age, from Sophia Gyuk (and the babies not yet here), to those near Wallace's age, and all in between.

With love, in faith,

Nina