After waiting patiently and working hard as a parish through the transition, we at the Fig welcomed in a new era this weekend with Father Casey Shobe’s first services. Look here later this week to hear his sermon and come and join us this coming Sunday, October 19th, as we bring our stewardship campaign to a close and celebrate ingathering with one combined service at 10am.
The energy and excitement at the church is palpable and it’s exciting to be looking forward and wondering in what new ways can we seek and serve Christ in all persons? A parishioner at our church, Michelle Thompson, shares her thoughts on how she is anticipating this new season at our church and has a challenge for us all to break out of our comfort zone and shake old habits up a bit.
“In exploring the different services at the Fig, I have gotten to know so many people and it’s become clear to me that the real heart and soul of the Fig are its people. We sit in the north transept every sunday. We are comfortable there because we know most of the 9am north transept parishioners and we feel safe there with a busy 4 year old. We have made so many new and valuable relationships over the past couple of years in the north transept yet I have also found joy in exploring other services.
When I was pregnant we would go to the Saturday evening service and I got to know more people and it was fun as a soon-to-be parent to make a date night and include church.
When I became a mom I joined Altar guild and that gave me the opportunity to attend the Wednesday night service on a regular basis. The Wednesday night crew is small and we have communion at the altar. Wednesday night is a time that I go to church without my family and that service always centeres my week. It gave me an opportunity to appreciate the quiet and listen to God. Seeing the same faces every week brought me joy and, again, I was able to meet and connect with a different group of parishioners.
Once Catherine, my daughter, started school, I decided to switch to helping with the Thursday afternoon service and once again became a part of a new crowd. This is another service where we take communion at the altar and I am always struck by the closeness you feel with those sharing God’s gifts with you.
Listening to Fr. Fred’s last sermon I asked my self the questions, “Why do I always sit in the north transcept on Sunday? Why don’t we put on our nametag and sit in the middle left, or the back right?” I am inspired by Fr. Casey’s arrival and it reminds me of Fr. Fred’s encouraging us to ” break out of our tribe”.
I will be looking at different places we can sit as a family, different groups of people we can meet, and try and find new ways to connect and listen to the people of the Fig that I love so much. I will try to remember the joy I find in serving at different service times and encourage all of us to break out of old habits and see what happens.”