We were honored to be interviewed by the Synod of the Northeast, PC(USA) about the life and spirit of our community.  To check out the full article, click here!

January 23, 2016 – Presbytery of Genesee Valley’s Leadership Training Day Worship

Last week, Companions on the Way was honored to be invited by the Presbytery of Genesee Valley to lead worship at this year’s Leadership Training Day.

Matthew 5:14-16 calls us to remember that we have each been given lights to shine.  They are the gifts, passions, and talents we possess to make the world a more loving place.  The world often has a way, though, of making us feel like we need to hide those gifts – that somehow they are not good enough, not “right” enough, not “holy” enough to shine.  Through bullying, fear of judgement, self-criticism, or even simple weariness, we begin to place proverbial “bushel baskets” over our lights, for fear they’re not enough.  But, for the One who put them there, all darkness is light.  We can’t hide our lights from the One who created them!  Our call, then, is to remember that our light is always enough for God.  God loves us and our lights, and knows they belong on a lampstand, shining love for the world!  And if my light is enough for God, do others (and ultimately I) have the right to put it under a basket? No.  I’m gonna let it shine… [Read more…]

January 11, 2016  Gathering

On January 11, we celebrated the one year anniversary of our community!  For our worship, we shared the sacrament of communion.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul records Jesus having told his disciples to do “this” in remembrance of me, as they celebrate the “last supper.”  But what is “this?”  Eat the Passover meal, as they were doing that night? That’s something they would do anyway, and Jesus seemed to be changing the symbolism of what they were doing. Bless and break bread, and bless and drink wine? But, it’s very possible to do this without really having a spirit of communion.  So, what is “this?”  It seems to have something to do with being very intentional about being in deep relation with those around you at that moment, including the Spirit. [Read more…]

December 7, 2015 Gathering

On prayer, Martin Buber said, “What distinguishes… prayer from all magic? Magic wants to be effective without entering into any relationship and performs its arts in the void, while… prayer step[s] ‘before the countenance.'”  There are ways of praying, without really entering into relationship with God, or with those for whom we pray.  We pray at a distance – sending out a wish for magical intervention, without feeling connected.

Another way to understand prayer, then, is that it’s primary purpose is to keep us in relationship with God, ourselves, and others.  Soren Kierkegaard said, “The purpose of prayer is not to influence God, but to change the nature of the one who prays.”  When we pray by thinking of the situations of those for whom we pray – when we use the power of ethical imagination to consider what they’re experiencing – we come into relationship with them.  We are transformed, even if in just some small way, by having spent time, spirit-to-spirit with others. [Read more…]