A Minister’s Message – Belonging – October 29, 2019- Rev. Shelly Thompson

My Dear Ones,

Creating belonging for ourselves and one another is the heart of what it means to build beloved community. After our last Family Friendly worship, I had the privilege of reading your reflections about Belonging. What a delight to hear your heartfelt wisdom and to see that our congregation has such a strong shared sense of what it means to belong to one another! This beautiful heart image shows the recurring themes that emerged from your sharing. Those themes are also apparent in the consolidated responses below. For me, they are poetry, full of your feelings and evocative of my own experiences of belonging here with all of you. May we continue to nurture one another by sharing ourselves so wholeheartedly, so generously, and with so much love!

With love and gratitude,

Rev. Shelly

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Church is belonging.
We are loved and accepted for who we truly are.
Welcomed with a smile and a hug and surrounded by warmth.

You can come as you are and you are missed when you are not there.
Being welcomed and being heard.
Belonging means mutual support, trust and care.

Feeling appreciated.
Feeling respected and needed.
Being there for each other every day.

It is a place where smiles and laughs come easily.
To share sorrows and happiness together.
People are kind to you and include you.

Belonging makes me feel warm, loved, able to be vulnerable.
Belonging feels warm and safe. I feel held.
Belonging is a community with safety, trust and respect.

Coming together in celebration or in times of difficulty.
Belonging is being a part of something. Having a joint sense of purpose.
Being included. Taking active part. Giving time talent and treasure.

To belong means life is richer and you feel comfort and that you are needed.
Belonging means mutual sharing and understanding.
Feeling calm and comfortable.

Belonging sounds like joy and being happy.
Belonging is a form of spiritual food.
Belonging feels like hope.