November 2019

1 Corinthians 2: 12
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.

I am a lifelong Episcopalian though there were years when I was not a churchgoer and not thinking too much about spiritual things. When my kids were young I wanted to reignite that part of my life as well as provide a foundation for my children in the way of religion and spirituality. As I type these words and imagine the trajectory I have taken in my faith life, I feel awe-inspired to notice how this journey has deepened and expanded in ways that were unimaginable to me as a younger person. This offers me a sense of wonder about my trajectory going forward, where will it lead me, what amazing things are ahead? Where will our combined trajectories lead us as a church community?

Many years ago, as I listened to what the church was telling me, the second great commandment rolled around in my mind “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. I thought -- well that’s all fine and good but I have no idea how to do that! And I recognized that I “failed” over and over again when it was hard (disclaimer, I still do)!

When I began to learn about Nonviolent Communication in 2009, I had the aha moment of “oh, that’s how!!!”, this is it – here’s a toolbox for my faith!! It is not so easy, however now I have the tools and greater clarity to see what is blocking me! It was at this moment that the growth in my spiritual life progressed more exponentially. I like to think of it as a deep pool that I dove into and I am swimming and swimming, deeper and deeper. It is a journey that has significantly strengthened my relationship with others, and myself, and provided clarity where there was often confusion. As we are called over and over again to love our neighbor, so here we are in community.

That reminds me of the following quotes from the book Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris, that I read many years ago: “… conversion is no more spectacular than learning to love the people we live with and work among. It does not mean seeking out the most exotic spiritual experience, or the ideal religion, the holiest teachers who will give us the greatest return on our investment. Conversion is seeing ourselves, and the ordinary people and our families, our classrooms, and on the job, in a new light. Can it be that these very people – even the difficult, unbearable ones – are the ones that God has given us, so that together we might find salvation?”(p. 44)

and later in the same book:

“Another insight of Thomas Merton’s, that “theology really happens in relations between people,” was of great use to me when I began to consider, with much fear and trembling, that I would have to join the church. And that my grandmother Totten’s church, just up the street from my house, would have to be it. Because it’s where I live, and the Christian faith is best lived out among those who see us without pretensions, in the day-to-day circumstances of life.”(p. 108)

So about those combined trajectories – what can we accomplish together? I don’t know but I have seen over and over again that the most powerful things happen when each of us searches for the Yes inside and follows that. The Yes inside, in my view, is God’s call to us and different for each of us. I believe that hearing the Yes takes a discerning heart, which comes from practices in our lives that create the space to hear the call and the will to answer it, as well as support, encouragement and insight from others. Nonviolent Communication provided me with a huge YES that has captivated my mind and heart for ten years and has provided a toolbox for the most challenging experiences of my life, as well as a community of other trained individuals that support me as well. I am proud that this year, after years of hard work, I became a certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (www.cnvc.org).

I’ve heard it said that “polarization” is one of the biggest problems facing mankind today. Learning to communicate effectively in community has the potential to impact every cause with which we wrestle: environmental concerns, social concerns, family concerns, organizational concerns.

Many of you may know that I have been offering Nonviolent Communication workshops at St. James the Less – my first was in 2015 to the youth group.  After two intros for the 4th Quarter group in the last year, we started a six month practice group which I have to say was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at St. James the Less in my 21 years here. The level of connection engendered in this group was wonderful and at the end of each session I felt renewed hope for our world. We are about to begin another six-month group, which we are opening to the community beyond SJTL. I imagine I will continue to offer some form of this work as long as I have breath. If you have a group to which you would specifically like me to make an offering, let me know! (jbericksen2013@gmail.com)

Rock is encouraging us to dream together at St. James the Less. I have a dream of a congregation where each of us has a Yes calling as loud and clear as mine is to me, that cannot be ignored. What’s your Yes? Can you hear it? Are you making space in your life to hear it? Are you asking God to show it to you? What’s the next step toward your Yes that you can make with fear and trembling and the support of a loving community and a loving God? How can we help you, how can I help you?

With love,
Julie Ericksen