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Anna Woofenden

May 2003

I've been thinking recently about why we are here and why this congregation has reached its present state. Almost nine years ago, the New Church of Boulder Valley began as a small group of people meeting in David and Susan's living room in north Boulder. There, people gathered to worship and talk about how they would reach out to the broader community. Their primary goal: to spread the ideas and the teachings ofthe New Church to anyone searching for new insight and spiritual direction.

A few months later this group began to meet at the West Boulder Senior Center. After they felt comfortable and ready for visitors, they placed ads about New Church services in the local paper(S). Some of you were to witness the amazing day when 16 visitors came to church! You looked around and asked each other, "What's going on? Who are all these people?" Over the years, this core group has grown and changed, while continuing to reach out to all who are searching and to build a healthy, and welcoming community.

Nine years later, we continue to settle into our new building. Since we moved in last October, we've gotten used to the feel of the chairs, a few people have found the first aid kit, there is a scrape on the sanctuary door, a little stain on the carpet. On Sunday mornings, your car makes the turn into the church driveway without thinking. You come into the sanctuary seeking the peace and inspiration you've come to expect. You hang out on the couches after church. This place is starting to feel like home.

On a recent Sunday morning, looking around at the faces of our community and at the beautiful space we gather to worship the Lord in-gratitude is the emotion that comes to me. Each one of us is so blessed to be a part of this group. Each one of you is another reason I love this community.

After this gratitude comes an emotion and a question. First, we all enjoy a sigh of relief. We're here, we have a building and a community, we've made it. There is validity to this relief. We've all worked long and hard to bring this group, this church, to where it is today. And it is right and good to take a deep breath and acknowledge all the energy that has gone into that process. Once we've done that, we need to move forward to the next step, of looking towards the future and asking ourselves, why are we here? What is our purpose as a congregation and as individuals within this community? Today we find ourselves at a new beginning, a new bend in the road, the next stage of the journey. Just as the initial group did nine years ago, we need to look at where we are now and where we want to go.

From one perspective, getting into our own building can feel like the end. We've arrived. We have our own space, we worship here every Sunday, we schedule classes and social activities, celebrate weddings, baptisms, memorials. We've attracted visitors, and some have returned Sunday after Sunday to attend services. We've succeeded.

But is this all there is? I challenge every one of us, as an integral part of our church community, to look towards what is next. We still can, and in my personal opinion should be, holding the same goals and vision that this group was founded on:

The mission of The New Church of Boulder Valley is to bring the Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Old Testament, New Testament, and Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, into the minds, hearts, and lives of people through worship, education, spiritual growth, and friendship.

Bringing the Lord into people's lives through worship, education, spiritual growth and friendship-this is why we're here. Just as you were not created on this planet simply to serve yourself, we as a congregation were not created just to serve ourselves. We exist to offer ideas, healing, inspiration, community and support to those who are searching. We are here to be the Lord's servants in the work of spreading love and truth throughout the world. We are here to share what we have been blessed with.

Our spiritual theme for the year is a quote from chapter ten of Gospel of Matthew, "Freely you have received, freely give." It's striking to me to look at the context in which this sentence comes. Verses five through eight read, "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: 'Do not go among the gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:5-8)

Jesus is commissioning His disciples to a great mission, a mission that we also hold as a church. Preach that the kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick. Cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons. He's telling us to serve those around us, to share with them what we know if it could help them. To support them in their healing processes. To support them in removing evil from their lives. And why must we do this? Because he said, "Freely you have received, freely give." We have been given so many blessings and gifts. The gift of this community, the gift of this worship space, the gift of these teachings and the difference they can make in our lives. We must freely give.