Bringing RC to a Church Community
Organized church communities can be great natural places to bring RC perspectives and to work on the climate crisis. The following are some of my thoughts and experiences.
BRINGING RC PERSPECTIVES
I am an Episcopal priest. I have been working in a mid-sized (about six hundred people) Episcopal church for nearly five years. For two years I have had a paid job developing a “small groups ministry.” The core of the work is communicating and practicing the basic RC ideas that things go better when people are listened to thoughtfully and when there are leaders who guide the process.
I train leaders of small groups. The training focuses on helping people take turns and allowing them to explore their own minds, including processing their feelings, with support and confidentiality. We also practice appreciations, speaking order, and not “fixing” one another. (I’ve noticed that not “fixing” each other can be a big challenge for Protestants.)
After two years of working persistently with this model in every possible setting, the church as a whole is slowly developing a culture of listening. It is reinforced by the rector (the priest in charge), who uses the model regularly in his own work. I also have a column in the monthly newsletter called “Listening Hearts,” and each month I explore a piece of basic RC theory. This often gets interesting discussions going.
ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY
Whenever I preach, I speak to the benign reality, which is loving connection and seeing that we are all in this together. Connection, connection, connection. I have preached about the extinction of species and how to address that as Christians. The church has a group called Earth Stewards that meets regularly to address the climate crisis. I have met with the leaders of that group and offered to do a workshop on listening projects. When they do presentations on the climate crisis, they break into triads and allow time for each person to share their feelings and thoughts. The church overall is interested in exploring this topic and is ripe for more.
WHAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO OTHERS
Practice, persistence, patience. At first almost everyone balked at listening without responding and at not trying to “fix” the other person. As I got a few leaders to trust the process and practice it enthusiastically with me, more and more people tried it. It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience. I have to constantly discharge my discouragement. I have to be confident. The other thing is to have a few good, solid ideas and repeat them endlessly. No one gets bored, ever, with basic ideas like you are good, you can think about this, everyone has something to offer, and we can take turns, listen to, and support one another.
Eugene, Oregon, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of Protestants
(Present Time 199, April 2020)