The Practice of Invitation
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The Practice of Invitation
A month ago, I ran to Safeway on a Sunday morning when I realized we were short on rice crackers for the Eucharist. Our Sunday mornings at Commons are full-on with set-up and mic checks, so adding this errand to my to-do list annoyed me.
When I got to Safeway, I grabbed three packages of rice crackers and stood in line behind a woman with colourful daisies. The store clerk commented on their beauty, and the woman said they were for a friend. Only, the friend was no longer alive. "Every year," she said, "I buy flowers for my friend and take them down to the river to remember her."
There we were, three strangers sharing a sacred moment. I said to the woman, "That's a beautiful ritual." And she told me and the clerk that her friend had died when they were in high school – nearly twenty years ago – and still, she practices this remembrance.
I bought the rice crackers while she wrapped up her flowers. I wished her well, and as I exited the store, I felt grateful that I no longer felt so annoyed about something that wasn’t a big deal. We could have stood in line, alone, and said nothing. Or, we could interact, share a bit of ourselves, and sense the mood shift.
Now, why am I telling you this story? I think it’s pretty clear that we are in a time of emergence. After spending two years closed up, working from home, and staying in, we are leaving our houses, taking trips, and returning to church. But more than ever, we maintain a collective case of social anxiety.
Of course, there is a drumbeat of worry. We worry about COVID. We worry about common colds. We worry about public safety. We worry about our kids' sociability. We worry about the price of gas. We worry about our aging parents. We worry about war. We worry about the politics to the south. But guess what? Most of the time, your worry does nothing to help.
But there is something that you can do when you feel annoyed, anxious, or numb. Leave your house and find ordinary moments to engage with people around you. Think about how much of Jesus’ ministry was just this: setting out and seeing who comes along for the journey.
What we need more than ever is a newly woven fabric of public trust. The best way I know how to do that is to walk out my front door and smile at a stranger, talk to the person standing beside me in the grocery store, and wave to kids playing in the park. I love to wave to kids who happen to be looking my way because I want them to know that the world is friendly and good.
And I'll let you in on a secret – this exercise in inviting connection with strangers and people one hardly knows is where you will feel the nearness of the Divine peeking out from almost every encounter to say, "Isn’t that person wonderful?"
As we head into the summer months, will you join me in the spiritual practice of invitation?
Create a social space with friends or strangers this summer. If you're going somewhere fun, invite someone to join you. If there's a concert or show you'd like to see, don't miss the opportunity to look around and say hello to someone standing near you.
Invite connection. Invite trust. Welcome the change in mood.
If you aren't sure where to start, join us for the Commons Stampede Breakfast on July 10th in Kensington.
You're invited!
Be well,
Bobbi :)
Want to invite others from our community to join you in a fun activity or adventure but aren’t sure where to start?
Let me introduce you to our virtual bulletin board on Facebook:
I’ve already posted a great list on the group page of 100+ Things to Do This Summer in Calgary if you need some ideas.
We find this sort of invite works best if you’ve already got a friend or two along for the ride! So grab someone you know, put out the invite, and see what happens. We can’t wait to hear what you get up to.