One of the core values of First Congregational Church is Creativity. You can see it in the church’s commitment to music and the arts. You can see it in our commitment to children and youth. You can see it in the eagerness here to make our faith real relevant in today’s world.
Most of us appreciate the creativity we see in art or music, in a great book or a good movie. But sometimes we under-estimate our own creativity. We may see it in other places, but it is harder to recognize it in ourselves. Yet being creative is part of being human. We rely on our own creativity all day long. It’s creativity we need to cook a meal or organize our day or consider how best to help our loved ones. It’s creativity we rely on to problem-solve. The Bible starts with the story of how God created the world and all of us. Our birth is a testament to God’s genius as a Creator. Like an ancient potter long ago, the Bible says God stooped by the riverside to scoop up the dusty mud and mold it into something new and then breathed life into the first people. God’s been breathing life into each of us ever since. So, I wonder if it’s the creative impulse in us that is the mark of the Creator.
We are most alive when we are exercising our creativity. That’s why it’s so satisfying to gaze upon a garden we’ve planted, or to take in a room we’ve painted, or to taste a recipe we’ve improved upon, or see things from a new perspective. That’s why it’s so satisfying to see a project completed, or see a child come into their own.
Summer is a season to replenish our creativity. Our creative impulses are fed when we relax into summer’s slower pace. Our imaginations are nurtured when we explore new trails. Our minds are stimulated when we spend some time being idle. Children thrive if they have occasions for boredom. It’s summer’s slower pace that provides some distance from our many projects and space to re-consider our options. It makes sense to me that the creation stories took place in a garden. So, I hope you are finding the pools of refreshment, this summer, that nourish your inner springs of creativity.
Blessings,
Pastor Susan
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