During the month of October one of our Worship and Small Group themes is courage, what personal and collective courage mean in our current times. Even personal courage adds to the collective experience, and it is important to remember that the work is slow but steady and we can lean on one another. Writer and theologian, Cameron Trimble, tells us that courage is long work, it takes stamina. She explains, “The courage required for this age is not loud or heroic. It is slow, patient, and renewable. It is the kind that takes root in those who refuse to surrender their tenderness. It is the kind that knows love is still possible, even here.”

Courage can be found in showing up to another rally, meeting, or conversation. It means continual financial support for causes that support our values. Courage is in sharing our fears and hopes with others. It means celebrating the wins as they come and mourning the losses when they arrive. In this journey it is essential to remember that we belong to one another.

When we act with courage, we widen the circle of what is possible for everyone else. It is remembering that we can support one another as we lean in to what can be created no matter how difficult things feel in present times. Together, let us carry the light.

When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. – Audre Lorde