– a Lenten Reflection on Membership and Life in Community<\/p>\n
Why do you belong? How do you belong?<\/p>\n
I am reading a fascinating book by Simon Sinek called, Start with Why<\/i>. I am discovering that people, including me, need to belong! Our need to belong is biological: it helps us to feel safe and connected and we often actually crave it!<\/p>\n
Simon says belonging is something you \u2018feel in your gut\u2019 and that gut feeling isn\u2019t in your stomach! Decisions that \u201cfeel right\u201d come from the limbic part of the brain (the part that focuses on the why and how \u2013 the place where no words are processed at all); rather than the neocortex which focuses on the \u2018what\u2019 with lots of wordy reasoning. I know, this is deep \u2013 but it\u2019s fascinating as a way of \u2018seeing\u2019 more clearly why and how we make decisions like joining the Church, following a call, or living a life of discipleship.\u00a0 It may better explain why personal stories inspire the preaching and how the invitation we unconditionally extend moves people to feel like they are special, that they are not alone and that here at Bay View UMC everyone belongs!<\/p>\n
As a bit of an introvert I am interested in the \u2018how\u2019 of belonging. Professionally, I struggle with the proper motivation to join a group or attend a meeting that I am not leading. And, personally, I am challenging myself to \u2018see\u2019 and act more clearly from my gut than my head as a means of living more fully and, I believe, more faithfully.<\/p>\n
What a wonderful journey for this Lenten Season! To learn something new that can breathe new life into life!<\/p>\n
Lent is the time we use to practice the \u2018how\u2019 \u2013 the values and principles that guide us –\u00a0 to once again say, \u201cYes!\u201d to God\u2019s invitation to \u2018belong\u2019 to God\u2019s family \u2013 eternally –\u00a0 come Easter Sunday morning! Lent is a time to connect more deeply with these guiding principles and to hold oneself\/community accountable to their practice.<\/p>\n
The season is not yet over friends, and I invite you to revisit your \u2018why\u2019 for belonging to God\u2019s family as we journey together the \u2018how\u2019 that enhances our ability as a community to use ALL of our natural strengths to grow God\u2019s kin-dom here on Earth as it is in heaven. Each day we ready ourselves to celebrate this decision to belong: your limbic response (\u201cgut feeling\u201d) to that unconditional, grace-filled love of God that you experience, with skin on, not from words preached or even rational thinking but through the faith life of the community here at Bay View UMC.<\/p>\n
Peace be with each of you. Pastor Kelly<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
P.S. Dr. Seuss\u2019 book: \u2018Sneetches\u2019 is a simple metaphor for the need to belong!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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