Rev. Elizabeth asked the congregation:

Think of a time when you thought “wow, THIS is the reason we have a church,” or “this is what makes church different than other community groups,” or “THIS is the reason our church exists?”

What was happening? How did you feel?

First Church congregants responded:

A church:

Leads people in worship;

• Time to reflect and slow down
• Grounding weekly rituals
• Church exists to provide company. I think this when I’ve spend some of the weekend on my own and then find myself in the community of the congregation on Sunday morning during the service.
• The Tenebrae service when the church is dark and we snuff candle flames
• Tenebrae service.
• Also many small, regular events—the singing, silent prayer, etc, that remind us that our whole purpose is to create beloved community.
• The music, especially singing together is my inspiration to do better and be more connected through the church
• When we sing a capella and sometimes when we pray silently
• Every time the choir sings
• We mark the time, going through the year together, the seasons.
• The Christmas pageant when adults and children play parts together
• #MeToo service: face difficult things together, a moment of simultaneous vulnerability and strength.

Officiates Rites of Passage;

• _____’s memorial service: I was proud to be a part of a community that would help a “stranger.”
• ____’s memorial service
• Memorial services, for my father, family of church members, and friends in the church.
• Church member weddings, especially our own.

Provides Spiritual, Emotional, and Practical Support;

• Opening up the church post-9/11
• Organizing to help ___ while they were dying.
• Unasked, unexpected moments of kindness—questions offers of help and emotional support. All this reminds me that we need each other—no one gets through this life alone.
• When we support members in crisis
• I found the support I needed to pull myself together after a personal crisis and be stronger and wiser than I was before.
• When ___ died and someone asked “are you eating? Are you sleeping?” The “Caring Community” support for ____ who was hospitalized. Learning to accept care.

Facilitates spiritual, religious, and ethical development;

• Participating in _____small group

Acts for Justice and Liberation, and Compassion;

• Helping with the food shopping in preparation for Common Cathedral
• Preparing food for Common Cathedral with other members of First Church
• when I am participating in the preparation and participation in Common Cathedral, the food project, the movies, books, and the prayer
• Congregation committing to support sanctuary for undocumented people
• Hosting the young Jewish congregation
• Mother’s Day Walk for Peace

Practices Beloved Community;

• Getting to know people in the community
• Serenity, comfort, and like-minded people
• We get to be silly together and witnessed in that.
• Fostered witnessing each other as we are
• Little pressure to do/be other than we are.
• Comfort of community of caring individuals; place to explore new worlds; safe
• All these celebrate community and/or dwell on those “thin” places where this life feels close to whatever is next.
• Simple: I cried, and felt safe to feel whatever it was that made me cry. No need to explain, if anyone even noticed. I guess – although I hesitate to explain mysteries – that it’s about having time dedicated not to doing, and not to avoiding doing, but to being present.
• A place to retreat, rest, become grounded and ready to face the world with a greater sense of connection to what is important and how I’m not alone, that I’m one of many people I care about and who care about me. What was happening? It could be any Sunday, especially post 11/9/16!
• Yard sale: we always manage to make it happen / Being in the kitchen during the fair
• Knowing I belong—we don’t need permission
• Church is people. I want to be with this group of people. We go because we want to; we always walk out with something new. Challenged. Keep from growing old.