When I think about renewal I think about the possible of new beginnings, new opportunities, new ways of being, new ways of understanding oneself and the communities one belongs to. I think about how we navigate change and find hope and new possibilities. I’m thinking about renewal as both something experienced by individuals and communities.
Rev. Sharon Hollis
President, Uniting Church Assembly
One of the paradoxes I have found about renewal in my own life and in the lives of the communities and people I’ve ministered with is that when renewal occurs it comes with an element of surprise, is experienced as gift yet rarely comes without a lot of work, struggle and effort and support.
I want to illustrate this with a couple of examples from my own life and ministry of renewal.
After my partner died I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again. In the depth of grief, I thought that might be all I would ever knew - emptiness, heart brokenness, sadness, despair. Even with the support of excellent friends and family I wasn’t sure I would ever know happiness or contentment again. So imagine my surprise when I was having dinner with friends one day and I realised I’d laughed with joy, at first it was just a moment, a brief time without grief. But over time I experienced more of these moments. I knew more times of joy, moments of happiness, relief from tears. Gradually I could see how it might be possible to go back to work, parent my daughters, be a friend, participate in wider family events, think about living in a new home, take a new placement, accept new responsibilities, feel alive and human again. This renewal of my life didn’t just happen by accident although it is a gift of grace. Renewal came because of the hard work of grieving, through the rage, lament, and tears. Renewal came through the effort of counselling, through paying attention to my feelings not pushing them away. Renewal came through the faithful support of friends and family who were willing to journey with me in my pain, who didn’t give up on me, even when having me around wasn’t easy or fun. Renewal came through the presence of the spirit of God, often seen only in hindsight, known in community, through prayer and sustaining love.
