THE TAPESTRY OF OUR LIFE

As I listened to Caroline Litzenberger’s forums on the history of our community, the image that came to me was that of a beautiful, living tapestry this community has been weaving since our founding, and we are continuing to weave the pattern and design for our time, to be added to the ever-unfolding tapestry that is our story.

With each major change over the years, new patterns, symbols, and colors were woven into a unique design, reflecting that period of community life. In her forums, Caroline named the historical times, the challenges, blessings and hopes, the community impact and response that were part of the many changes. Throughout, the “warp,” the long, course, strong fibers of faith, community, commitment, love and service remained constant.

The horizontal threads, the “weft,” are the various colored and textured threads that cross over and under the “warp”, threads that create the design or pattern. The weft yarns have changed over the many seasons of our life together. Recently, I reflected on the possibly darker, more subdued colors of grief and loss, fear and isolation and the pandemic as well as our growing consciousness of social ills, political shifts, the impact of racism and prejudice that dominated these past three years. Yet, the bright colors of our hope, resilience and creativity, the gifts of technology, our commitment to one another and our ability to come together in new and creative ways kept us connected to those “warp values” and we wove in more and more light, joy and hope. We began to shift from the winter darkness into the new life of Spring.

How will we live into this “Resurrected Life”? As we begin yet another colorful pattern and design with its own textures and story to enhance our living tapestry, we do so on a foundation of varied and growing ministries, spiritually alive liturgical celebrations, Scott as our new rector and more freedom to look forward and dream about the future we might co-create to meet the challenges of our time within our community and in the world around us.

Our lives are intricately interwoven. Each person, who they are and what they bring to our life together is an integral part of the design we are weaving. Diversity enhances the intensity and beauty, the wonder and awe in what we are able to weave together. Let us come together, welcoming one another, listening deeply to one another, encouraging and challenging one another and blessing one another that we might fully live into the call upon our lives, individually and communally.

Weaver God, Weave our life into yours
Grant us eyes to see the whole of which
we are a part.
Grant us ears to hear your still, small voice calling us into this unknown future.
Send your Spirit to guide our choices.
Strengthen our trust in you and the living tapestry you are creating with our lives.
Transform our hearts that what
we create might be of love.
We pray that what we weave continues to draw us closer to you and to one another.
Amen.

Mary C. Myers
Spiritual Director
Chaplain, Retired