This morning is “Women’s Morning Out”.  On the second and fourth Friday from September to June the Parlour is a-buzz with women connecting. The stated purpose of our gathering is study but it is so much more. It is a group of amazing women who have built a network of support over the years. I was immediately welcomed into their embrace. In fact, my call to BUC we effective September 1, 2007 and I was invited to join them at their June pot luck in the June of that year. I was included before I had even arrived!

They laugh together; they cry together, they respond to needs within their group and in the congregation. They have raised money for grandmothers in Africa and for children in The Congo. But what impresses me most about this group is their willingness to push the edges of their belief and understanding. They are interested in challenging themselves and one another. Nothing is sacrosanct and every opinion will be considered.

Often as people age they are characterized as becoming stodgy and stuck in their views. My experience is the opposite. I have observed that as people age they learn that fewer and fewer things are ‘nailed down’ and that open-mindedness is often the best approach to life and the curves it throws at us.

The women I will meet with this morning have experienced a great deal in their years. They have come to see faith and friendship as a source of strength to get through the ups and downs of life. I have a lot to learn from these women including grace and open-mindedness. It is going to be a good morning!

In the circle you move in, and have moved in, can you think of people who have influenced you and supported you in your faith journey?