Monday Meditation
July 5, 2021
"Summoning COURAGE as We Come Back Together"
by Nancy Murphy
“Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”… Maya Angelou
“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it’s going on when you haven’t got the strength.”… Theodore Roosevelt
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” … Anonymous
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”… Winston Churchill
COMMENTARY
“I chose COURAGE as the topic for today’s meditation because it has recently become clear to me that courage is what we may all have to summon as we prepare for coming back together for in-person BUU services and activities. Why?
While showing up physically for BUU service may initially not seem like a courageous act, it is important to stop and think about what we have all been through the last year and a half and how that can impact the experience of coming back together.
Loneliness, depression, anger, frustration, helplessness are just a few examples of the challenging feelings we’ve likely experienced. While some of us may have had positive experiences that included spurts of creative energy, heightened self-awareness and personal growth, our individual social worlds were still significantly limited and our personal NEED for community and relationships did not disappear or become less important. We are social creatures and need contact with others in order to survive and thrive. Our BUU purpose is built on the foundation of beloved relationships and our covenant expresses a profound promise that, “we will care for each other and the long-term well-being of our church.” So, in considering these points, I’ve come to the conclusion that we have all suffered great loss and we must think about how we acknowledge and grieve that loss individually and together. This is where I think COURAGE comes into play!
COURAGE as defined by Merriam-Webster is “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”
I recently read an interesting article “Leaders, It’s Time to Ask Questions About the Post-Covid 19 Church” by Rev. John Thornbury, a Methodist Minister. He raises several interesting questions worth considering by congregations of many, if not all, churches as we enter a post-COVID 19 period. The one question I found most thought-provoking was, “What will it take to lead our people through the grief and loss rather than around it?” I ask, how will we acknowledge and grieve this loss at BUU as opposed to trying to “forget about it, put it in the past, let’s move on, and focus on the future ”….. all tempting, aren’t they?
Part of grieving loss is willingness to share our individual stories/thoughts and we all know about the courage it takes to publicly do that part. But, as Winston Churchill said his quote above, it takes courage to listen as well. What does it look like when we are demonstrating courageous listening? In researching this question, I found three common characteristics identified. #1 We put others first and show empathy… by putting thoughts about ourselves and our personal life temporarily aside. #2 We listen more than we talk and, #3 We ask meaningful questions. Doing this, tells the speaker that their experiences/thoughts are welcome.
Like most of you, I so look forward to seeing all of the BUU staff, friends and members in person. I especially want to hear the stories you all have to tell about the time we have been apart and how this separation has impacted and changed you. So, in keeping with our Covenant, I promise to summon my courage to share my story and to courageously listen to yours.”… Nancy Murphy, BUU Member
CONTEMPLATION
Find a quiet place to relax. Take in a breath to a count of four. Hold to a count of four. And, release to a count of four. Do this until your thoughts calm and your mind slows down.
With your mind’s eye, scan back to the beginning of 2020 and ask yourself the following:
“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it’s going on when you haven’t got the strength.”… Theodore Roosevelt
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” … Anonymous
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”… Winston Churchill
COMMENTARY
“I chose COURAGE as the topic for today’s meditation because it has recently become clear to me that courage is what we may all have to summon as we prepare for coming back together for in-person BUU services and activities. Why?
While showing up physically for BUU service may initially not seem like a courageous act, it is important to stop and think about what we have all been through the last year and a half and how that can impact the experience of coming back together.
Loneliness, depression, anger, frustration, helplessness are just a few examples of the challenging feelings we’ve likely experienced. While some of us may have had positive experiences that included spurts of creative energy, heightened self-awareness and personal growth, our individual social worlds were still significantly limited and our personal NEED for community and relationships did not disappear or become less important. We are social creatures and need contact with others in order to survive and thrive. Our BUU purpose is built on the foundation of beloved relationships and our covenant expresses a profound promise that, “we will care for each other and the long-term well-being of our church.” So, in considering these points, I’ve come to the conclusion that we have all suffered great loss and we must think about how we acknowledge and grieve that loss individually and together. This is where I think COURAGE comes into play!
COURAGE as defined by Merriam-Webster is “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”
I recently read an interesting article “Leaders, It’s Time to Ask Questions About the Post-Covid 19 Church” by Rev. John Thornbury, a Methodist Minister. He raises several interesting questions worth considering by congregations of many, if not all, churches as we enter a post-COVID 19 period. The one question I found most thought-provoking was, “What will it take to lead our people through the grief and loss rather than around it?” I ask, how will we acknowledge and grieve this loss at BUU as opposed to trying to “forget about it, put it in the past, let’s move on, and focus on the future ”….. all tempting, aren’t they?
Part of grieving loss is willingness to share our individual stories/thoughts and we all know about the courage it takes to publicly do that part. But, as Winston Churchill said his quote above, it takes courage to listen as well. What does it look like when we are demonstrating courageous listening? In researching this question, I found three common characteristics identified. #1 We put others first and show empathy… by putting thoughts about ourselves and our personal life temporarily aside. #2 We listen more than we talk and, #3 We ask meaningful questions. Doing this, tells the speaker that their experiences/thoughts are welcome.
Like most of you, I so look forward to seeing all of the BUU staff, friends and members in person. I especially want to hear the stories you all have to tell about the time we have been apart and how this separation has impacted and changed you. So, in keeping with our Covenant, I promise to summon my courage to share my story and to courageously listen to yours.”… Nancy Murphy, BUU Member
CONTEMPLATION
Find a quiet place to relax. Take in a breath to a count of four. Hold to a count of four. And, release to a count of four. Do this until your thoughts calm and your mind slows down.
With your mind’s eye, scan back to the beginning of 2020 and ask yourself the following:
- What was one experience or thought you had at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic?
- What were other significant experiences or thoughts you had as the pandemic continued during the year?
- What did you learn about yourself during 2020?
- What did you learn about BUU during 2020?
- What, if any, life lessons will you carry forward from 2020?