Showing Up For Each Other

Why belong to a church? One reason is that we show up for each other. These are tumultuous times, and many of us feel battered by the events swirling around us. We show up for social justice, for our community, for the world, but just as importantly, we show up for each other. As we seek to care for the world, we also remember to care for each other. In a religion that places love at the center of our values, this is what we do.

So how does this work at First Parish Church? The Caring Committee recently set up a meal train. A meal train happens when folks sign up to deliver home-cooked or purchased meals to a family during times of illness or other life events. We organized this for one of our members, and the response was wonderful. I am keeping a list of members who are interested in participating so we can put this into action the next time there is a need.

As members of a caring community, we show up with our love and our time, visiting friends who are in the hospital or laid up at home, offering a lift to appointments, and organizing carpools. We show up with cards, condolences, flowers, or a basket of fruit when someone is grieving. We celebrate birthdays and life events. We celebrate our children and youth, embracing their talents and accomplishments.

We show up during times of heartache and despair, with the folks who share our concerns. We gather for Sunday Services and social events. Coffee hour at First Parish Church, held right after our Sunday Service, is something worth experiencing! We gather in the Parish Hall for an amazing array of food and a chance to enjoy each other’s company. The first Sunday of the month is a potluck. Volunteers sign up to cover the rest of the week. It is during coffee hour that I often realize how much this community of people genuinely cares for each other.

As Rev. Nancy Bowen (2016) said, “The purpose of the church is to heal the consequences of lovelessness and injustice in the hearts and souls of our members so they might heal the community and together heal the world” (The Purpose of Church, https://www.uua.org/worship/words/quote/purpose).

If you are interested in joining the Caring Committee or helping with specific projects like the meal train, you can reach me at Babsmoloney1@gmail.com