"Parachute Games" by Tim Dennell is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
by Wendy Morical
When my child was small, he was timid in new environments. One day in Lindley Park, we saw an activity group from the Parks and Recreation department near the playground, lifting and lofting a brightly colored parachute in the air. Children squealed with the thrill of running into the space under the brilliant nylon and then darting back out from within the circle. Around the diameter of the parachute, adults and children gripped the handholds tightly, working together to move the massive fabric in smooth, billowing waves – up, down, up, down. My son, transfixed by the spectacle, hung back to watch the scene, not confident enough to run into the midst of the activity.
This memory came to me recently as I reflected on the conclusion of my term as congregational Moderator. Viscerally, I feel my hand releasing its hold on some of Pilgrim’s workings, but I am concretely aware of a circle of focused, joyful, and energetic people around me, ready to grip the handle as I release. In the past year and a half, some members of our Pilgrim family have really felt the effort required to tug the fabric of our church life upwards, and some have had to grip tightly to bring it back to Earth. Others of us have joyfully ducked in and out, taking pleasure from the beauty created by the lifters and adding our voices to the chorus of enthusiasm. Some, like my young son, have felt it more comfortable to sit at the side and enjoy the lifting and soaring from a safe distance.
Assuming a role in lay leadership over the past years exposed me to the many hands and hearts at work around Pilgrim. There is so much life in our church – even when our doors were shut and the search for our minister went on! Daily acts of support, both visible and behind the scenes, are performed by a vast number of Pilgrims: changing light bulb ballasts, delivering meatloaves, caring for our elderly members, writing poetry, trimming fallen branches, sweeping dead flies, shoveling the walks, cleaning the closets, reading scripture, collecting essentials for needy neighbors, writing blogs (!) and legal documents, planning, praying, and simply being present for one another.
What a joyful, colorful celebration this community is! Whether your hands are some that are doing the work of lifting and holding, ones that are moving with your body in the shelter of our circle, or ones in prayerful repose as you watch from a comfortable space, you are part of our wondrous, billowing, loving endeavor. May God bless us in our togetherness and our joy.