The verbs of Parkview

Dear friends,

During three Sundays in Advent the sermon theme is “the verbs of Advent.” We look at the verbs in the lectionary readings and talk about what they mean to us.  The premise is that verbs are universally understood while many of the nouns, adjectives and pronouns in the Bible are often harder to understand, because we don’t know exactly what is behind them.  This made me think of the verbs that have described Parkview over the years.

During the last exploration group meeting (hosted by Janet and Steve Hill and facilitated by Lois van Beers),  it became clear that it might be the last exploration group meeting for the time being (even though you wish to continue your conversations).  I am grateful for the participation you have shown during these meetings. The first ones were “regional” meetings where those of you who live in the same part of the metropolitan area got to know each other better.  The verbs that describe these meetings might be “bonding” and “affirming.” You got to know each other better and affirmed how much the church meant to you.  In the last two meetings (where the groups were combined) the verbs were “dreaming” and “visioning” as you built on the previous exploration group meetings.  This dreaming and visioning led to some new verbs which are the beginning of a new mission statement for Parkview.  I hope to share this input with the session when we have our session retreat time at the beginning of next year. But first let’s remember the verbs that might have defined this congregation throughout its history.   In the initial period the verb was “gathering,” bringing the people who had arrived from different regions in Japan to constitute a community of faith that roughly shared the same traditions, language and food.  Then came the period until 1940 where the verbs “growing” and “building” seem appropriate.  This was followed by a period of “suffering” and “serving” when the congregation was in diaspora to be gathered once more like a Biblical people after the exile.  After the war the verbs were “healing” and “restoring” to be followed by the sixties and seventies which I see as period where the verbs “rerooting” and “redressing.”  In the late seventies came a period of secularization in Western society that hit the Church and Parkview hard when “maintaining” and “socializing” seem to be the verbs that apply.  The sports program was a key part to the congregation’s vibrancy.  In the nineties you moved toward a multicultural future which is now a reality. There the verbs “welcoming” and “including” became key and you have been stellar at living them out. Now what I am picking up from your last exploration meeting is that two key verbs are “searching” and “reaching out.” You are aware you live in a Northern California society which is now radically secularized, but where people feel they are “spiritual” but not “religious.” People are skittish about faith and often alien to it.  You yourself want faith explained but not prescribed. You want to allow space for reflecting as you engage with other ways of thinking.  Eleventh century Benedictine monk Anselm of Canterbury used the worlds “Fides quaerens intellectum,” “faith seeking understanding.” Perhaps that comes close to where you feel you are.  Please correct me if I’m wrong.  You also want to reach out which whether you realize it or not is a paradigm shift.  You want to go from inclusive welcoming of people into your midst to reaching beyond yourself and partnering with churches and other organizations in the community around you.   Of course the terms “believing” and “worshipping” continue to apply.   May God bless our ministry in the service of the Christ Whose face is everywhere, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Aart