Piloting Faith: Do what you can...

A Word for the Day...

"How many of us find ourselves taking the weight of the world on our shoulders? We need to solve climate change. We need to stop nuclear war. We need to end racial and religious bigotry. Before long, we collapsed under the weight. We becoming bitter and breakdown. We burned out. But then comes the liberating word. I can't clean everything. But I can clean this house. I can love this little neighborhood and these few neighbors. I can give this little talk, write this little book, take this little photograph, make this little meal, do this little thing. And if enough of us are freed from the unbearable weight of doing everything, and do the one little thing that is ours to do now, then, we can trust, God can get done through all of us what none of us could do alone. And suddenly, it's not burdensome work. It's aliveness. It's joy. It's freedom."

These words are from Brian McLaren's book, The Great Spiritual Migration. He is one of the kindest people I know. He is also one of the most honest. The world does feel dark and heavy these days. Many of us are exhausted by the scandals, the trials, the corruption, the deportations, the broken laws, the defaming, the name-calling, the lies, the narcissism, the resignations, the tweets, the protests, the division. But we can do what we can where we are. Sometimes it doesn't feel like much, but it's what we can offer to make the world better. And then there is aliveness and joy and freedom.

Keep the faith, friends. And get out the vote!

- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Prayer for the Week

Lord, make me an instrument
of your peace;
where there is hatred,
let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

—St. Francis of Assisi