Flourishing
Summer Message
September 1, 2024
E. Jane Lyster
I first was made aware of flourishing through the United Church at a workshop in Kingston lead by the United Church Moderator[2] Carmen Lansdowne[3] last winter. I have to confess that “flourishing” was way out of my thoughts and considerations for a long time. Flourishing is such a positive word in these days of challenges and apparent decline at all levels, personal, community, regional, national and global, or so we are told. This notion of flourishing at a United Church workshop got my attention. Since then, flourishing has bombarded my consciousness in many directions. The latest, the Elijah Inter-faith Institute Summer School I attended, it just finished on August 8, 2024. The two weeks of the summer school was peppered with mentions of “flourishing.” In the case of the summer school flourishing from a multi-faith point of view. It is a principle of faith, who knew?
Biblical flourishing is also distinct from all other views because it is consciously made available to all people: men and women, children and adults, educated and illiterate, rich and poor, slave and free (Galatians 3:28). Within Christianity there is no “special” group of people that alone have access to flourishing.
We flourish in God’s presence and under his/her guidance and with faith we will be open to that even in difficult, challenging times.
Prayer:
Our dear Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts in gratitude and praise. We thank you for this time coming together as a community of faith. We acknowledge your sovereignty and the countless blessings we bestow upon us daily. We give thanks for your constant companionship. Amen.
Hymn: focusing on God’s goodness
Scripture Reading Old Testament: Psalm 92:12-15
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; they shall grow like a cedar in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing, to show that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” (KJV).
Scripture Reading Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-2
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them: and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing.” (KJV)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, we come as individuals, each with our unique joys and burdens, but we also come as a family bound by our faith in you. We pray for unity and fellowship. Let your love flow through us. May our differences enrich our worship, and may we find strength in our shared belief in your divine presence. Lord, help us grow closer as a church family, supporting one another on our journey of faith. Amen
Reflection:
Have you ever had a word come out of nowhere and invade your mind from many directions? I’ve mentioned some examples above of how “flourishing” has been one of those words to me. In my research about flourishing, I’ve found that God desires us to flourish in every aspect of our lives-spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
It is heartening to find that the leadership in the United Church concurs with the notion of flourishing in all aspects of our lives. In fact, our Moderator and team have established a flourishing project to encourage congregations to embrace God’s desire for abundant life. The Moderator’s desire is so strong that she and her team are working across Canada to visit with church leadership to workshop on flourishing. JoAnne Fletcher and I attended the session in Kingston last winter. There is a workshop happening in Ottawa in early September. (Apparently, there are 66,000 United Church congregations in Canada. It is unlikely that all 66,000 will be reached directly but possible that the leadership will be by the time the Moderator and team is finished.)
[4] We need bold ideas and daring connections
To flourish, we need We need bold ideas.
a strong social fabric. We need to be rooted in a sense of place, a sense of belonging. We need structures that work for everyone, a strong local economy and community.
We need daring connections.
The Moderator, The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, seeks to engage both church and broader Canadian society in this question of flourishing, and how it could influence our future. With the goal of enhancing “flourishing” in church, among our leadership, and within the broader community, the Moderator is on a three-year journey to engage the nation on the big questions.[5]
What is heartening to us as a congregation of many seniors is that the youth of the church is taking this project on. I will remind us of what Psalm 92 says about “bringing forth fruit in old age” 😊
“From Covid-19 to the climate crisis, labour and housing shortages and supply chain disruptions – the world has restructured around us. Much about life seems unsettled. People are short-fused, frustrated, fearful. We instinctively take our eyes off the horizon to focus on what is in front of us. While important for survival, it means we lose sight of the big picture; our future happens to us while we’re making other short-term plans.”[6]
It is fortunate/visionary that our United Church leadership has a plan to take on “flourishing.” It is a 3-year project. It will be interesting to see how we choose to become involved. How the future before us can surprise us? How we can be a part of the vision and the surprise.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this creative way to gather as your people. May the seeds of faith have planted today “flourish,” and bear fruit in our lives. Bless us with your presence as we go forth, and may we continue to embrace the Moderator’s Flourishing approach in our daily walk with you. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen
Benediction:
“May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV)
May you be inspired to flourish in God’s love, grace, and purpose. Amen
[1] Neighbour’s rock garden – a display of flourishing after a miracle recovery from a 3-year battle with palliative level cancer at one point. If you want his testimony, it is on YouTube, I can send the link. He has regained strength and then some. His strength is such that he was able to create his masterpiece of a rock garden this year. The Prayer Circle prayed for him faithfully.
[2] Moderator Carmen Lansdown is the 44th Moderator appointed at the 44th United Church General Council in 2022.
[3] Carmen Lansdowne - Wikipedia
[4] From the document “About the Flourishing Project.”
[5] From the document “About the Flourishing Project.”
[6] From the document “About the Flourishing Project.”
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