Who else loves a play on words? "Before the Fall." What does that phrase bring to mind?
Proverbs 16:18? "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall?" No one else heard that as an admonition growing up, right?
Before the fall... of what? Rome? Man? Your church? The ELCA? Christianity? Capitalism? The US empire? All the systems we humans have created that treat others less than human? The planet Earth? (Or is Jason the only one who can go to a dark place and fast?)
Before the fall... of who? A leader you once admired? A person you struggle to have grace for and are almost joyful about seeing them fall? A leader, maybe even you, who's going through a rough time and doesn't see a way back up? Your child learning a lesson the hard way? YOU learning a lesson the hard way? (Or is Jason writing from his own experience?)
(With those last two sets of examples especially, we might be tempted to believe they / we are starting from a deficit position. In coaching, as you have heard us name countless times in these gatherings, we operate from a belief that each person is whole, creative, resourceful, and capable. We will expand on what we mean by that in our gathering next week.)
Or maybe you're thinking of fall, the season? Are you stressing about programming? Do you have everything planned out already and are feeling peaceful? Are you looking forward to cooler weather? Is your inner child already excited about Halloween? (No? Just Jason again?)
On Wednesday, August 17, we focused on the skill of listening and NOT fixing. How are you present in each moment, with yourself and with others? What do you notice? What are you feeling? How well are you listening? Where and how do you believe God is calling you to be in community as you plan for anything beyond today, before the fall? ;)
We are mixing things up for the rest of August and experimenting with our content and format. We will gather together online, begin as we usually do with an introduction and time of centering, then we will briefly learn (or be reminded of) the basics of one of a number of coaching skills. This time will be followed by small groups in breakout rooms to practice this skill with each other on real and relevant topics that you bring with you that day so that you may leave our time together feeling empowered, valued, and prepared for your next most faithful step.
We invite you to bring a spirit of curiosity to these gatherings and to all aspects of your life. What are you noticing? Where is Spirit moving? How are you being invited to participate?
