Piloting Faith: What stories are you telling?

A Word for the Day...
Yesterday I had a wonderful conversation with a woman about 30 years older than me. She told me a story about her grandmother, Baba, who spent time with her as a little girl. They would often go out in the mornings to feed the birds together. Looking back now, she sees that these moments, more than many others in her life, shaped her.
She said, "We didn't just throw food out and go on with our day. Baba taught me to pause and really see the birds. I learned their distinct calls. I knew their breeds. And then often Baba would tell me something about myself through stories about the birds. She told me that I could fly like them, creating an adventurous life for myself. She taught me about fear, creativity, bravery, love, and compassion through these small life lessons. I am who I am today because of Baba and her stories."
She is now "Baba" for her own grandchildren. The beautiful stories continue.
As Jesus walked the countryside with his followers, I imagine it was a lot like my friend learning to feed the birds. They walked, talked and in the process, became more beautifully whole and fully human.
We need more "Babas" in the world. Maybe that is you. We need people who know how to see what matters and take the time to show the rest of us. For the rest of us, we must slow down enough to listen closely. Stories take time to incubate within us... and ultimately to transform us.
- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Prayer for the Week
The New Lord’s Prayer
Our Mothering, Guiding Moral Force, Gracious and Loving, Creator,
Who is our strength and shield and promises never to leave or forsake us,
who enfolds us and is all around us, in heaven and earth.
Blessed and cherished, divine and wondrous, and powerful are you.
May your purpose and everlasting presence,
your dream and vision of a world of peace, come to be.
And may your hope for us be realized on earth as it is in heaven.
Give each one of us enough to sustain all of us.
In our imperfections, we ask for forgiveness
for ourselves and from one another.
Save us from ourselves, from the bondage of selfishness,
from the distraction of prideful pursuits.
Help us to find the best of our human selves and to love that which others reject.
For all that you have created, the beauty and grace and the glory is yours forever.
Amen. (So be it.)
- (Rendered by and for Friendship Presbyterian Church)