All That You Can’t Leave Behind

Anyone who has heard The Rev. Mike Kinman speak or preach might notice that he is a big fan of the band U2; at some point you’re going to hear a clip from a CD or video or simply some lyrics from this group’s work. Mike is a friend of mine. In fact, he was the catalyst for my coming to St. Francis’. Once Mike gave me a U2 CD, possibly hoping that I would be equally inspired by their genius. They did not speak to me the same way they do to Mike, except for the title of the piece: All That You Can’t Leave Behind. That phrase has been going through my mind ever since it became clear that soon we will be acquiring land for the continuation of St. Francis’ Wildwood. We will be leaving the cozy nest of the LaSalle Retreat Center; oh, not tomorrow, not even in 2005, but we will be leaving. When we go, what will we take with us? What will we leave behind?

Anyone who has ever moved knows that, even before the boxes get packed, culling must occur. They look critically at their stuff, sell some at a garage sale, bring a load to Goodwill, give some to friends and family. They are left with all that they can’t leave behind. It’s the same with the stuff of our lives. We all have experiences, good and bad, exquisite and demoralizing, that form our background, our psyche, and our character. If we’re lucky, we find someone who can help us sort out those experiences. We ignore the bad ones at our peril: those are the ones that will jump up and bite us in the rear if we’re not careful. And after sorting, we don’t throw anything away; wouldn’t it be nice if we could? No, we rejoice in the good and bless the bad experiences that helped form who we are. And we move on, carrying all that we can’t leave behind.

So it is with us. We are in a very different situation from most congregations I know. St. Francis’ has a 16-year history. Most “new starts” have grown and moved on by now or have folded. In fact, the Bishop rightly wanted to see some indication that we had growing life, not dying life, in us before committing Diocesan funds to purchase land. We have shown that through our sacrificial giving (and it has been sacrificial for many), through our involvement in outreach within our community and the world, and in consciously living our stated values. We are poised to move and grow and we must decide on all that we can’t leave behind.

What about St. Francis’ is most precious to you? I’m not talking about stuff; stuff is ephemeral in the Kingdom of God. What qualities must be cherished? What values lived? What can be left behind, or at least acknowledged and dismissed? What will St. Francis’ Wildwood be? What will we represent? It needs to be something about the Good News of Jesus Christ, and it needs to be about the rest of the world, not simply about us.

We need a group of people who will continue to vision about the future of St. Francis’: not about what the building will look like, what the mission will look like. There are plenty of folks lined up to plan the building. First, we need people to decide what the building will be for. In addition to the most important work of the people, praising and worshipping God, what will our purpose be? It will require folks willing to ask and discern: What is God’s will for St. Francis’? Are you interested in tramping around the land across the street, looking north, south, east, and west and asking, “What will we do here? What will we be here?” If so, let me know. We have lots of work to do before the other work can begin.