This summer, St. Cyprian's is busy and full of life. There's palpable energy around the place.  Perhaps it's Adrian and her large group of kids crossing Turk to have breakfast in our community room?  Perhaps it's Kelsey, our summer intern, preparing for the Green L(a)unch, or Michael or Bruno finalizing plans for the wall and tower repair, Jennifer talking with a neighbor about the kitchen, Lee Dora brewing coffee for coffee hour, or all of us circling around Kira sending her on summer vacation with a prayer and blessing?  Maybe it's Jarie unloading a truck of new office furniture, or Robyn and Kai sorting through dusty books, Willie and Tommie asking important questions in a committee meeting, Norma coordinating the ECW's donation for new chairs, or Kevin getting things organized in the newly painted office? Jonas checking out the chalked sidewalk? Maybe it's Philip and Lynn from Simply Sandwiches unloading a ton of sandwich making ingredients, Lenore sharing ideas, or another neighbor stopping by to check out what's going on and how they might get involved? Maybe it is all this and much more.

Perhaps it is visits with elders, and distant relations renewing contact, or a neighborhood barista, and a long time congregant singing beautifully in our sanctuary? Perhaps it's Matt reading a lesson in French on Pentecost, maybe it's Eric helping us welcome guests from South Africa, or Davidson making inquiries with local nonprofits, Steve making posters for our Thursday yoga class, perhaps wider church friends like Sally, Greg, Diana, Brenda and Rick checking things out, offering encouragement and support. Maybe it's that colorful character smoking on the bench outside? Could it be LaVonne on the piano, or David or Myron on the organ? Maybe it is all this and much more.

Every person that intersects with our little church on the hill leaves something behind and hopefully takes something meaningful with them as well.  Every prayer said by a homebound member, every email sent and opened, phone call made, invitation extended and accepted, matters. You, whomever you are reading this, matter. The best of all the planet's faith traditions teach, preach, and practice this principle: everybody matters. But there are plenty of examples in the history of religious institutions, leaders, and communities that say something very different. We live in a world that doesn't always tell us this.  But we do matter as individuals and as communities.

Nevertheless, there's a lot in our lives that tells us something else --- that our story, experience, feelings, dreams and visions don't matter. Or, that they don't matter as much as someone else's. Some of us grew up in families and communities where there was plenty of love, encouragement, and support.  Others of us, however, grew up in contexts where there was far less than enough. I think one of the roles of the church and other faith communities as well is to help spread the love around.  Our job is to help make sure that those who've got more than enough feel inspired and supported enough to share, and those who don't have enough feel inspired and supported enough to accept.  Most important, we strive to make sure everybody in the process understands how much they matter to God, to others, and to the planet. We need real life other people--family, friends, neighbors, and communities--to help us recognize and trust that reality.

Today one of my favorite blogs, Inward/Outward, shared the following quote from Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath":

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San Francisco Jug Band Festival

Benefit for St. Cyprian's

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 8pm