November 20, 2024

“When crisis is the context for the past and the present, 
hopeful people manage the now and imagine a future.”
–Barbara A. Holmes, 
Joy Unspeakable: Practices of the Black Church

Beloveds,

Human beings have always, everywhere, lived with both crisis and hope. I like Barbara Holmes’ observation quoted above because it notes the importance of hope in the face of crisis, but points to some concrete results of hopefulness. Rather than leaning into or encouraging a feeling of hopefulness, Holmes points out the concrete actions supported by hope: managing and imagining.  

I found a very useful definition of crisis on the website of the state of Washington’s Dept. of Social and Health Services, which notes that a crisis is a disruption or breakdown in normal or usual pattern of functioning, which cannot be resolved by customary problem-solving resources/skills. It seems to me that if some of us are not yet experiencing crisis, we likely will be soon enough. Even if we somehow escape economic, judicial, or moral challenges, climate change will impact us all in ways we are only starting to understand. 

Holmes offers a response to our times that is practical and doable; we already know how to manage and imagine, and especially practicing together, we can improve those skills and apply them to our new and ever-changing circumstances.  And those skills are applicable in all sorts of areas and at multiple levels–in any life, we have opportunities to navigate (a skill which combines both management & imagination!) situations within our selves, our families/close circles, and all sorts of different communities of which we are a part–ranging from small groups like our congregation, through the communities surrounding GNUUC locally, statewide, nationally and beyond. 

There are so many opportunities to practice good, fair, inclusive management of the present and imagine a future with more love, justice, and life-saving power. I am reminded of a recent Shared Ministries Council meeting in which we had a discussion that imagined GNUUC as a sanctuary for those in need, and I wonder how we might combine our powers of imagination and realistic management of current realities to create together something in service to our world. 

Think about it…If you have ideas about how GNUUC can live and work as a truly faithful and hopeful community in these times, please share them. 

How to share? 

-Mention long-term ideas during the next Shared Ministries meeting (Sunday, January 26 after Sunday service) and find others with whom to collaborate.

-For more immediate opportunities, share during the “What’s Next?” section of any Sunday service. (What’s Next? is a time to further our shared ministry, not just a bunch of announcements!)

-Reach out to me or other members of the congregation to brainstorm, ask questions, or work out preliminary ideas. Working together, there’s no telling what we can do! 

Yours in management and imagination,
Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org