5 Resources to Help You Flourish: March

February 28, 2019

by Lydia Shiu

This month, as I thought about what I wanted to share for resources on flourishing, I realized that there are a lot of things going on right here within our own community that I legitimately think are good and beautiful things that will help you  flourish. So, at the risk of doing some shameless plugs for internal things, I will go ahead and tell you about the things that I genuinely believe you should take advantage of or participate in that can add to your spiritual journey. I’ll give my personal takes on why I think they are good and important things that can help you flourish.

Here are the 5 things.

1. Immigration:

When I first moved to the United States as an immigrant, there were many random and small things that made life so difficult. I was 10 years old, trying to help my parents figure out things like insurance, banking, or the DMV. For recent immigrants or refugees, a little help on small things (like getting a ride to their lawyer) or big things (like finding someone to teach you how to drive) makes a huge difference in their transition and settlement. Recently, Steve has joined a pretty grassroots network of clergy that’s a part of an organization called the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network. Long name, I know. It’s a pretty cool niche work. Basically, because of some loophole, clergy have access to accompanying people at detention centers or court dates, sometimes even more than family. Through it, these clergy can sometimes be a critical lifeline to firsthand needs of these folks in transition. And their needs are met mostly through a call made out to the community. If you would like to be a part of network of this community, to help in any way, email me at lydia@reservoirchurch.org. Helping new immigrants flourish will give you the gift of being a part of new beginnings and life flourishing.

2. Soccer Nights Planning Team:

During my phone interview with Reservoir two year ago, I asked at the end of the conversation to tell me something about the church that they thought were really good and exciting work. They told me about Soccer Nights and it immediately grabbed my attention. Growing up as an immigrant (you can see what life experiences shaped my thinking!) and in a family that was not very well off made sports this elusive thing. It usually involved some fancy uniforms that my parents couldn’t afford and it became a cultural barrier that I felt like I couldn’t cross. I could study hard at home, but team sports was not on the table for me. This is why Soccer Nights fluttered my heart, as I considered working at Reservoir; I’m not exaggerating. To put on that kind week program, for free, for the wide community to enjoy is such a gift to our neighboring kids. It’s a thing that I’ve literally heard a group of little girls at the local park say, “that’s like the best week ever!” when they saw me walking with Michaiah with the Soccer Nights shirt on. You want flourishing in your life? Try helping kids flourish through sports. That’s the thing about flourishing, you know. It’s contagious and extends beyond yourself. We’ve already started planning for this season, and have interest meetings after both services on March 17. To join the planning team, email soccernights@reservoirchurch.org.

3. Spring Couples Workshop: From Conflict to Healing Connection: March 16th

One of the best things I’ve done for myself and my relationship was going to therapy. But also, counseling can get expensive! This workshop, From Conflict to Healing Connection, is being led by two therapists. I say, take advantage of resources like this whenever you can! Honestly, who can’t utilize a tool for moving from conflict to healing? And they have pay-what-you-can tickets available, people! I’m using way too many exclamation marks for this portion. Because it’s worth it!

4. Ash Wednesday Service

The first time I attended Ash Wednesday Service was a weird experience. I felt like I was at a funeral or a creepy seance. I’m not selling this, am I?

It’s an old Christian ritual that’s sort of made a comeback in the last few decades. It kicks off the season of Lent, 40 days leading up to Easter. And although Easter gets all the credit and fanfare, there’s no resurrection without the recognition of mortality. If Easter is the bookend, Ash Wednesday is the other bookend that holds up everything in between. Such rituals are set up for people to experience the fullness—the depths and the heights—of the whole spiritual journey. Without the full journey, I personally really do think you miss out on so much. It’s like driving up to the mountain top, without the hike from the bottom. This season, I invite you, to journey through the whole breadth of the spiritual path, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Our Ash Wednesday service is on March 6 at 7 PM, and will last about a half hour.

5. Serving Communion

While I’m on the topic of Christian ritual, I’ll end with this one. Communion is a central sacrament to the Christian faith. A “sacrament” is what Christians believe is a visual sign and symbol to the invisible reality of God’s love.We have communion every Sunday at Reservoir. When we serve communion, we get to participate in the union of the sacred and the profane, where God meets the ordinary. We get to say, to each person, “The Body of Christ for you.” and “The Cup of Salvation for you.” It’s serving someone a little bit of Jesus. What an honor that is.

If you’re interested in serving communion, email me at lydia@reservoirchurch.org.