Dear Friends,
Padre Toni and I were away at “Clergy Conference” earlier this week. It’s an annual retreat at the Oregon Gardens Resort with our Bishop and clergy colleagues in Western Oregon.

It’s always a bit of a hassle to get to there, in my experience—leaving behind a hundred things “I need to do” and venturing into a yet-to-be revealed program of facilitated conversation and mandatory fun. But usually these gatherings end up exceeding expectations in the best of ways. This week was a precious time of refreshing rest, heartwarming conviviality and encouraging solidarity with others who are called to serve the people of God in Christ’s church in our diocese. I am back refreshed, feeling connected, and even filled a little more with courage.
Much of our table conversations this week were framed by the challenges and particularities of being faithful and being church in a time like this, when forces of authoritarianism seek to isolate and divide us from one another to enable their own increase of power. We were invited to remember the heart of what it means to be followers of Jesus in a community gathered by his call, and to consider how to keep moving toward one another to counter such nefarious designs.
Guided by readings from “For Such a Time as This: an Emergency Devotional” by Hannah Reichel, we considered many questions for discussion. In a poignant chapter entitled “Shatter Loneliness,” we read about the call to being neighbor. Here’s an excerpt from that chapter:
“What makes a neighbor? Attention and listening. Practical assistance in everyday tasks. And sharing in the other’s burden.
You don’t have to look for neighbors. You have to be one to find them.
You don’t have to like your neighbors. You have to be there for them.
Do you know your neighbors? The person living next door, your coworker down the hall, the crossing guard on your street, the secretary at your school—do you know their name? Would you know if something changed in their life? Would you notice if they withdrew or disappeared? If they were frightened or if they became radicalized? How would you spot the signs?”
With these words, I offer a few of the questions we considered. I wonder how you’ll respond…
What stories do you have about being a neighbor? What stories does our congregation have about being a neighbor without looking to be one? When have you been challenged to be a neighbor because of your discomfort? How or what made being a neighbor possible despite your discomfort? How can the church address the loneliness crisis in our communities?
I really am curious about your own reflections and would love to hear! Or share your thoughts with one another and start a conversation. As we move toward one another, we move out of isolation and deprive evil powers of usurping our humanness.
(Side note: we are working on a summer reading group to consider Reichel’s book together. More details to come.)
I am so grateful to be with you in this parish community, where we already share so much positive movement toward one another. St. Michael’s is a community of care, of mutual support, of encouragement, of mobilization. And we are continuously called, now as much as ever, to encourage and nourish connection.
With you,
Scott+
The Rev. R. Scott Painter
Rector