The Birmingham 2.0 Cohort of The Ministry Collaborative have transitioned to the next phase of our journey together. Our official time together ended this month, but the relationships that began over three years ago have been deepened and our commitment to support on another has been reaffirmed. Despite Covid-19 and all the challenges that conspired to undermine our time together. We are all better for the journey.
At the beginning of our walking together, many of us were living through major transitions. And even now, amid the pandemic and pressing political and social unrest, we are still in transition.
Our group is an unlikely bunch. We represent pretty much every Christian denomination and theological tradition. Yet somehow a rich fellowship rooted in deep love for God and one another has been cultivated within us. It is a nothing short of miraculous.
On a chilly evening in Birmingham, Alabama, we have been gifted with a moment of hopefulness. Not more than a few decades ago it would have been unlikely, if not impossible, and perhaps even illegal for us to gather – but we are together. Thanks be to GOD.
All of us, weary from our vocational hazards and the pressures of living in these unprecedented times, find comfort in our togetherness – it is blessing.
We talked. We ate together. We prayed.
Then as the sun descended and darkness crept over us, we donned our masks and moved closer to the fire graciously prepared to keep us warm. When the coolness of the evening prevailed, we drew closer to the fire and closer to one another. I can hear God speaking.
Winter is coming, the days are increasingly short, light is scarce, and it is getting cold (for some of us it has been winter all year long). But the warmth of Spirit is drawing us close. We encounter the divine in the faces and within the voices of our beloved. We are encouraged.
God is caring deeply for us through these sacred friendships- even this gracious gift of fellowship. God is faithful.
Through transitions, trials, troubles, and tragedies -this is how we will make it through the coming days.
When the Sun hangs low and the breeze is cold, we will draw close to one another and closer to the fire. The Spirit will warm us. We will endure and we will survive.
In my tradition and in the language of my Ancestors:
Hold on
Just a little while longer
Hold on
Just a little while longer
Hold on
Just a little while longer…
Everything will be alright.
No Comments