Cleaning Closets

by Beth Balshaw

[Editors' Note: Beth Balshaw gave the following reflection during a worship service in the Summer of 2004. We are posting it here with her permission.]

Fall is a great time to clean out our closets and drawers – especially for members of Foothills United Church who are busily gathering things for the Fall Garage Sale. When we sort through our closets and cupboards, we can make four piles: things that are worn out and need to be thrown in the garbage, things we no longer need that can be given away, things that need altering or repair, and things we want to keep just as they are.

We can sort through our attitudes and behaviors in the same way. There are some attitudes that are just garbage and need to be tossed (e.g., the belief, "I'm no good unless I'm perfect."). Some attitudes can be altered (e.g., "It's not OK to have flaws" can be changed to "It is OK to have flaws."). Some beliefs are fine as they are (e.g., "God loves me in spite of my flaws."). Some behaviors need to go (e.g., doing things that are hurtful). Some behaviors can be altered (e.g., saying "yes" to every request can be altered to saying "yes" to requests that fit with our talents). Some behaviors are fine as they are (e.g., taking time to rest).

As a congregation, we need to examine our policies, procedures and programming in the same way as we might sort through our closets. The fall is a great time to do that reflection. There may be things that we are doing that don't make sense any more but we continue to do them just because "we've always done it that way." There may be programs that have outlived their usefulness. We need to have the courage to throw some things out. There may be some programs that just need a little altering. Some things that we're doing are fine as they are. We need to pray for discernment so that we will know what to stop doing, what to change and what to keep as is.

As a community of Christian faith, we need to be constantly examining our beliefs and the way we live out our beliefs. This is very challenging. We sometimes become so attached to our beliefs that we do not take into account new information or changing circumstances. There are things in our Christian scriptures and certain Christian celebrations, for example that are inherently anti-Semitic. We need to be constantly examining and re-thinking what we believe and we need to keep our minds open. Again, we need the gift of discernment so we don't throw the baby out with the bath. May God be with us in all our sorting, so that we keep what is sacred.