Roy’s Sunday Letter for November 16, 2025

OUR ONE POT OF FAITH

A new reader of the Sunday Letter asked, “What do you want to achieve?” The question gave me pause, to reflect if not to achieve then what and took me to reflect on faith. My desire is to show the pleasure of being curious, to welcome to the learning, the troubling and inspiring journey of faith. That’s enough.

One Pot Meals are popular, now with web sites and magazine. As a young college student with little money, we would bring whatever we chopped and brought to a common pot. Whatever came forth was our meal, our common pleasure and nourishment. This Sunday the diverse and touchable elements of faith become our common pot, to trust, nibble on, nurture and strengthen us for our today and our tomorrow.

Prayer, Holding Hands, Heart to Heart — Faith, for me, is more of a feel experience, as well as an opportunity. As I stumble over the parts of faith that challenge, build, slowly develop and strengthen me. I hold these close, near to my heart, allowing each to feed me, nurture me and make me smile with the pleasure of what is true.

Forgiveness, Grace, & Acceptance — We are reminded to include ourselves as we make our list of forgiveness. I am also reminded of the importance of daily decisions of who to include in my social, economic, and spiritual world and those I do not. The grace of being accepted by others is the same grace I extend to others.

Encouragement, Support, Compassion — One part of an active faith is ongoing encouragement, continued support, and acceptance of family and friends. Our 24-hour messaging can deplete or diminish our personal or professional protective armor. Encouragement, however shown, may be the right encouragement for someone looking after an aging parent, child or grandchild with emotional or medical challenges, or perhaps someone with doubt now edging into a once clear and stronger faith. As I have received compassion, I offer open compassion to others as a returning act of goodness and faith.

Grief, Tears, & Loss — November and December can over-whelm us with the best and the most painful of memories. Richard Rohr tells us tears can be transformative, not to only our experience but as we share with others. We all carry grief – loss, whether from long ago or recent. Sharing our individual grief with others is one of the healthy paths of faith

Fit, Community, & Belonging — The search to find our fit may apply to our once “don’t fit anywhere” of teen years to securing our vocational fit of first jobs; then reimagining life with the “empty nest” or death in a long-time marriage. Independent churches have growing memberships, in addition to ministries, by providing “you belong here” communities for all ages and life stages. Finding your fit, community, and sense of belonging is a strong part of any faith, urban or rural, within small groups or within the larger numbers of an urban congregation.

Roy, may your faith pot over-flow with goodness and nurture.