Rule-Breakers
Worship with the rebellious and compassionate ones
Welcome to new readers—I’m Rachel. I’m a UCC pastor figuring out how to navigate the multiple roles of pastoral ministry, piano teaching, and family relationships. I began a new job in December, adding to my list of vocations, but continue to sort out what it means to be a multi-faceted person in a world that wants to oversimplify identities. I know this work of celebrating wholeness especially matters to bivocational clergy, but it is relevant to anyone who wants to be seen and known for who they are. I try to model this by sharing my church thoughts, but also a robust amount of book recommendations, video game chat, and insights from my many career spaces.
I’ve been slow to write the past few weeks. My pal Addie just wrote about emotional flooding and boy does that resonate. It’s felt as if the world is operating at extremes beyond my capacity. It’s difficult to know what to add.
I went to church this weekend. I almost didn’t, because of course there was laundry, and food to make, and generally staying on the couch sounds like a good option all of the time. But I needed to go because I needed to hear some wisdom that wasn’t just the stale thoughts shaking around in my own brain.
The scripture for the day was Luke 6. This is one of the many stories of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Jesus was always attending to the immediate needs of those around him. This often was technically against the rules, or at least was a useful excuse for the religious authorities to find fault with Jesus. I wouldn’t have found this story on my own this week. Was it ever a good week though to hear about the power of gentle, compassionate rule-breakers.
There’s a way that reading scripture immediately pulls me out of my own life. For many, reading the bible is a very personal experience of God speaking to them. I often have the opposite experience. I still feel connected to the stories, but rather than thinking this is a direct line from God to me, I instead feel the weight of history and the many people who have also encountered these words. There are thousands of years of people who have heard stories about unjust authority and found resonance in their lives.
I react similarly when I hear others pray. I’ve felt the shift from someone who prayed publicly often to now having most of my prayers be an internal practice. I am moved when I for a moment am able to hear what are often very vulnerable desires and hopes from others. They too are seeking comfort and change and direction from God.
It is humbling to be a part of a tradition that places people in opposition to authority because they care too much. I don’t have much to add to that. The simple mandates that seem to lead to so much conflict still apply. Love your neighbor. Do good. Save life and do not destroy it.
I put my feet on a sanctuary floor, surrounding by people I didn’t even know, who sang words of justice and hope. I took a breath. And another. And began my week.
Another joy of the week
The regional Conference I grew up in did a little shoutout in their newsletter to me this week. I sent a screenshot to my family and now am sharing with you. I think it really touched me because there’s something about taking on new titles and responsibilities that can be disorienting, but here my new role is in context of who I have been for my whole life—Rachel from the Pymatuning Charge. It’s nice to know that the 13-year-old who read scripture in that church (sometimes reading way too fast because I was certainly nervous) is still the same me.
More thoughts on loving church
What I’m listening to
I love a rattly, rhythmic folk song. I’ve been looping the new album by Tunng called Love You All Over Again, delighted to find ten tracks full of that mechanical yet acoustic sound. Tunng is new to me, but I’m excited to dig into the back catalog to see what else I might have missed.
Check out the cozy outro track, Coat Hangers, here.
What life looks like
