by The Right Rev. Cathleen Chittenden Bascom
A central call of the Christian life is “Love your neighbor.” What are the blocks and bridges for dynamic engagement with our neighbors? In 2023 the newly formalized Minster Teams, meeting regularly with active clergy and a lay representative from each parish, are being encouraged to read and discuss Alan J. Roxburgh’s book Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World. (Of course, anyone in the diocese may read along too!) The book offers reflections on changing understandings of neighborliness in the U.S. and challenges us to follow God into our neighborhoods and communities. But what are the best pathways?
When our family lived in Des Moines, there was a beautiful suspension bridge that stretched over the busy freeway from the elementary and high schools right into the middle of our neighborhood. It was a foot-and-bike-bridge, and we were so glad that our sons could traverse it safely back and forth to school. In earlier years, when we first moved to Iowa, the freeway was amid major renovation, and the road construction was a real headache. Having once endured inching along in traffic, we especially relished watching our kids crossing between the cables above the flow of cars.
When I pray about how the Episcopal church in Kansas can best reach our neighbors, this dynamic bridge comes to mind. At each end of a suspension bridge there are anchoring thresholds.
The Church Threshold
In our current era I encourage every parish to look closely at their threshold places and threshold ministries. At our diocesan convention 2022, I invited Canon Gar Demo of St. Thomas, Overland Park; Mother Doreen Rice of Church of the Covenant, Junction City; Community Coordinator ShaMecha King Simms of Bethany House and Garden; and Director Nyakio Lake of Agatha Amani House to share their ideas on Christian invitation. As they did so threshold ministries and places clearly emerged. There are many other examples of threshold ministries and places that are highlighted in this issue of The Harvest. Just take a look at the Around the Diocese section to see the wonderful ways our churches are connecting with neighbors in their communities.
Here in Topeka, transforming our acreage at Bethany Place into a public greenspace is the diocese’s threshold. It is a space for meeting our neighbors. Over a year ago, Bethany Missioner Jennifer Allen attended the neighborhood improvement association of the Old Town Neighborhood, which is where Bethany Place is located. While attending the meeting, she met ShaMecha King Simms, who lives in the neighborhood, and invited her to attend events at Bethany House and Garden. Mother Jenn would eventually encourage ShaMecha to apply for the St. Simon’s Justice and Advocacy Community Coordinator position. She now serves in this position as a member of the diocesan staff.
The Community Threshold
But we must keep building the bridge into our neighborhood. For us Topeka High School is an important community threshold. Soon after leaders from the school were present at the garden ribbon-cutting, they called to ask if an informal memorial service for a teacher who suddenly died in his classroom could take place in Bethany Garden. We were honored to host them for this time of healing and remembrance. Bridge-building with our neighbors opens two-way traffic. God is at work and invitations into relationship are initiated on all sides.
Roxburgh proposes we look for signs of God at work. Before Thanksgiving, ShaMecha shared with me about a lively dance performance that I sensed my family would love. The Chocolate Nutcracker gives the traditional classic a multi-cultural urban twist. The show was produced by It Takes a Village, Inc. a non-profit, after-school performing arts youth center and its Director Steven Massey. The show was teeming with talented dancers mainly from Topeka’s African American community. The love and encouragement shown by Mr. Massey for the dancers of all ages to me manifested God at work. I do not know whether there is a dynamic bridge to be built between the diocesan threshold of Bethany Garden and the community threshold of It Takes a Village, but I think I sense a call to exploration.
Dynamics of note
As we seek to build bridges where Episcopalians and neighbors meet and traverse back and forth being invited into relationship, into God’s love, into worship… complexities will undoubtedly emerge. Not only did the Des Moines bridge take years to construct, but it was also built upon a fraught history. In one era, the highway segregated the city, claiming homes and destroying the thriving business district of people of color. As we seek to build bridges, we may face similar kinds of truths and need to repair past broken trust. The suspension bridge our boys traversed led to a High School where 85 languages were spoken and where intentional work on reconciliation was being done. I offer this story in Topeka only as one illustration of the bridge-building occurring across our diocese.
“Talking the walk” as we connect with our neighbors:
Episcopalians are amazing about serving those in need in our communities and these are threshold ministries! As the Council of Trustees and I continue to focus on how the diocese can “Nurture a Culture of Invitation” (our number one strategic goal) we pray we will all learn ways to fruitfully express our spiritual foundations, the reasons we love our neighbors! Sometimes we walk the talk but don’t talk the walk! For most of us, we are in worshipping communities because the Risen Jesus has built a bridge for us into the unfathomable love of God. Ultimately, that is the bridge we want to extend to our neighbors as well. I hope that through our reflections in 2023 on Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World the Spirit will empower our mission in our neighborhoods and our message of Gospel-love. May God bless your bridge-building!
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