“I never knew that about you,” said one.
I wasn’t offended by their response. For there is so much about all of us that isn’t known.
Not only did I thrill at the command, “Gentlemen and ladies, start your engines!” I thrilled at the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana,” a state song from the perspective of one who has left. I also felt the weight of a Memorial Day invocation lifting up the burdens of warfare and the sacrifices of those who serve.
Trying to talk over the roar of 33 unaspirated Honda engines might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, of course. Each of us has unique passions. They make us who we are. No matter how much we share in common, to know each other fully, we need to know those unique passions, as well as the burdens and joys we bring to our faith community.
The simple act of listening to each other — asking good questions, listening to the answers, drawing each other out — might be the very foundation of Christian community. It certainly is the hunger I hear whenever I visit with church members. People want to be connected with each other at a level deeper than Sunday-morning nodding.
As we examine our common life and strategize on how to make our congregations healthier, we should remember the simple and yet profound joy of being known as we are.
In the Church Wellness Project, we call this being a “Listening Church.” That means a congregation that listens to the questions people are asking and seeks to know the joys, sorrows, passions, and burdens we bring in the door with us.
Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant, and Episcopal priest in New York. He is the author of Just Wondering, Jesus, and the founder of the Church Wellness Project.
