Staying Connected

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A few thoughts on staying connected . . .

Note on the image: I chose this image because it shows people (not just a graphic of connecting wires or puzzle pieces) and because it shows the virtual connection of a video conference. I think both kinds of connecting are important - incarnate and virtual - and both have their place. Often times the virtual method makes connections possible that would not otherwise be possible, and we also need to be sure that our connections are not only virtual.

Bishop Ian recently passed along this article on the value of bi-vocational clergy: http://thomrainer.com/2015/01/19/eight-reasons-fulltime-pastors-staff-go-bivocational/
While it makes a number of excellent points about the gifts bi-vocational clergy bring to the church, what I'd like to reflect on here is the broader theme of staying connected. Thom Rainer argues that one of the main gifts bi-vocational clergy bring are a connectedness to the outside world. It is so easy in life generally, and somehow in the church particularly, to become inwardly focused and insulated from the world. We can become so concerned about maintaining the status quo and responding to our own needs and desires that we can miss what is going on in the world around us. By necessity bi-vocational clergy are back and forth between church and world. They are bridges. Sounds a bit like a deacon. Perhaps we could refer to deacons as "the original bi-vocational clergy." :)

While I do think this is a gift of bi-vocational clergy, I also think it touches on a point that is relevant to all of us who work in the church (lay and ordained). It would behoove all of us to note the value of staying connected to the world. If the church exists as to serve God's mission in the world, then we always need to be communicating the needs of the world to the church and forming and supporting the members of the church to help meet those needs. So all of us need to stay connected to the world. Not to mention, it is also just good for one's sense of self and for self-care to be connected more broadly than the institution of the church. So, here are 5 tips for staying connected to the world. 

1. Read the Newspaper 
Okay, well maybe not the literal newspaper. Perhaps it is an app on your smartphone or a  or the start page in your browser. Maybe you get email alerts of breaking news from your local newspaper, or at least the biggest paper in your state. Maybe you scan the headlines on the BBC, The New York Times or CNN. Maybe you listen to NPR when driving in your car. However you access it, there is great value in keeping track of the news in your town and around the world. Our sermons are better, our relationships stronger because we are connected to our communities and the needs of the world. 

2. Shop Local 
Get to know the business in your local area. Whether you are in an urban setting with lots around you or a small rural setting with miles between you and "civilization," try to build relationships with those around you. You never know what opportunities for service or evangelism might arise because of a conversation you had with the proprietor of a local restaurant or the post office employee. 

3. Colleagues
A great way to remember that the church and the world are bigger than whatever little corner of it we might be serving, is to develop colleague relationships across the wider church. Whether this is through seminary classmates, people you meet at CREDO or another professional education event or even a local colleague group, there is much to be said for hearing what others are up to in their ministry. There is much support and great idea sharing that can happen in this groups, so be sure they are a part of your ministry!

4. Old Friends and some new 
While it is great to have those with whom you can "talk shop," it is also essential to stay connected to people who are not in the church. Be sure that you keep a few friends who knew you before you ever went to seminary or started working for the church. They are essential for keeping us humble. Particularly for us clergy, if we are not careful the power of our office can easily go to our heads. We also need people who help us remember that there is more to who we are than our job titles. We need people with whom we do not have any professional obligations. People with whom we can laugh, cry and be ourselves. If you don't have old friends nearby or that you can connect with regularly, it can definitely be worthwhile to work on making some new ones. 

5. Sabbath - Practices of Prayer and Refreshment
And of course there is another connection that needs to be maintained for us to flourish in our ministry - the connected to God. While it can be tempting to get lost in or become beholden to our "To Do" List, practices of prayer and refreshment are essential for keeping us well - in all senses. This should perhaps be number one, for without this connection, without a regular rhythm of prayer and relaxation built into our lives we run the risk of being overwhelmed by the needs of the world or become mired in the minutia of daily life in the church. May our spiritual disciplines and practices be the foundation from which we build the rest of our connections to each other and to the world.