Standing Naked Before God

Okay, let me say, right off the bat, if you are going to do a Google search for this next book that I have read, please type in the ENTIRE title.

Do not - I repeat - DO NOT just type in, "Standing Naked".

Especially if you are using a public computer.

Sigh.

The resulting images that I found when I made this mistake, took me back to a certain music director's birthday and I wanted to find her a picture of a man in a kilt wishing her a 'happy birthday' (cause, you know, she appreciates the art form). Well, apparently the words I used were too specific for Google and the photos that appeared cannot be unseen. EVER. God help me.

But, I digress.

During this 11th week of 2017, I read this lovely book by Molly Phinney Baskette. The full title is, Standing Naked Before God: The Art of Public Confession. Many people who attend SVUC will be familiar with some of the content of this book as I have used the ideas from this book during our worship services.

I met Molly last year at the gathering for the clergy for Alberta Northwest Conference in the United Church of Canada. The idea of only clergy (ordained, diaconal and designated-lay ministers) coming together to network, socialize and encourage one another came out of the last business meeting of the Conference. While we pride ourselves on being an inclusive church, we also recognize the value and necessity of meeting in specific groups so that stories and life-experiences can be shared with those other people who have chosen to follow a similar life-path. There is level of safety that can be achieved and a deep vulnerability that can be shared when you know the others in the room know EXACTLY what you're talking about.

Molly was the theme speaker for the gathering. As I was a member of the planning team, she invited me to participate in a worship practice involving vulnerability that her congregation has embraced over the years. She asked if I would and I said 'sure'. My beloved asked me later that day, what exactly do you have to do? How bare do you have to make your soul? Is there crying involved? Can you get out of it?

I had to admit that I asked her NONE of those questions. I just jumped in with both feet. I regretted it the moment I received her follow up email.

I was to confess my insecurity/doubt/fear/feeling of abandonment by God and then offer words of assurance. Just that little thing. To a room full of my colleagues. Most of whom I don't know very well. Or at all.

Molly is strong advocate of the use of personal confession in a public place (aka: church) so that each of us can take those pieces of ourselves that are broken and reconcile them with God. To be broken, to have sinned, is to have done "anything that separates us from God, others or our own best self." By speaking about this brokenness/sin out loud, to our church friends and family, we break open a part of ourselves and let God work within us. Our confession can be heard by others and shine a light upon what hurt and pain they are secretly holding. And the words of assurance {where God was found in all the mess, where God showed up} is the hope and the reminder of God's love and grace that is offered to each and every one of us. Regardless. Without exception.

So, that day, in front of my clergy colleagues, me and another clergy person confessed our pain, our brokenness. And we offered words of assurance. What I heard from my colleague was deeply touching and very moving. When it was my turn to speak, I felt only love and grace from those gathered. Everyone agreed that those moments of confession and assurance were vulnerable and a bit unsettling but, above all, they were real moments of connection - with each other and with the Divine.

When I returned to SVUC after my sabbatical, I instituted this practice of confession and assurance. Four people have gifted the congregation with their stories. I have just muddled along in my leadership of this practice, using my own experience as the guidance. Now that I have read this book and learned how this practice developed in Molly's congregation, I have a more solid place of understanding to ask and encourage the people of SVUC to get up themselves and stand naked before God.