Lenten 3rd Sunday March 20, 2022

While advocating for a vision, position, outcome, or mission is important for achieving a known goal, this stance often falls short during a liminal time when we don’t know what the desired future would be or what future will be thrust upon us. The disorientation and fear of a liminal time all too often causes us to dig in our heels to advocate for one particular position. We get so focused that we are unable to listen and attend to the call of God and hear the perspective of the communities of which we are a part. A more helpful stance during times of liminality is that of attending. Attending entails being fully present with an Open Heart – attentive here and now – to God, oneself, and the whole community. Cultivating an Open Heart involves freeing ourselves from the barriers that block us from being fully present which requires being aware of these barriers within ourselves and our community. Attending to the call of God and perspective of others involves listening to each other’s stories to better understand who we are together, what we are experiencing now, and where God is calling us.