Here I am, Lord. Is it 1, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
--Daniel L. Schutte© 1981; based on Isaiah 6:8

Last weekend, I attended a training event for leaders participating with the community-organizing group, PACT or People Acting in Community Together. PACT works with faith-based communities to organize the local community around mutual concerns (e.g. health care, education, housing, etc.). PACT is part of a national network of community organizers with several permutations in the Bay Area. I had the opportunity to work with the Oakland organization while I was Minister of Outreach at Beth Eden Church in Oakland.

The highlight of this all-day retreat was the "faith reflection" exercise (or Bible study), in which small groups read the Numbers account of the people of Israel complaining in the wilderness. We read of Moses lamenting over the tremendous burden he was under as leader of the flock.

We were invited to reflect on the connections between this story and the stories of folk in our respective communities and their frustration with pressing issues in their lives. As leaders, we were invited to identify with Moses, the leader of the people of Israel, who felt like he was the "only one" who was burdened with such matters. Lastly, we were invited to imagine what could happen if all these isolated and burdened people, if all these lonely and concerned leaders were to come together to share their passion and pain, their hopes and dreams. We imagined how the Spirit might be poured out on such a group to respond in God's name to mutually valued interests in their communities.

This exercise inspired leader-participants to continue in the struggle to address local community issues. These leaders were encouraged to organize their local community and church leaders around important issues and to truly become "people acting in community together."

The Outreach Board is currently engaged with the PACT organization to explore whether or not GBC's participation would be a natural extension of our commitment to involvement in the local community. In fact, the Board will be calling the "community" together for a three-part series of exploratory sessions" with the staff of PACT on Wednesdays, May 23rd 30th and June 6th.

Whether the church decides to join PACT or not, the lessons learned in the Numbers passage have import for the future of our life together at Grace Church. For we, too, will benefit from opportunities to come together to share concerns, pray with and for one another, and dream big dreams together. The forthcoming "All-Church Retreat" will be focused on such activity.

On the way to the retreat, a couple of community gatherings will be called to "prime the pump" for our discussions in the all-church gatherings. On June 3rd, parents, guardians, mentors and leaders who work with our children will be gathered to talk specifically about the future of our ministry with children and families. We will explore mutual interests and dialogue about new ministries to explore.

As pastor-leader of this people, I am excited about working with other member-leaders in pursuing new ministry initiatives in our church and local community. I see the Numbers story and I see these upcoming events as post-Easter foretastes of Pentecost, where God's Spirit is poured out on a gathered praying conununity. Where that community was encouraged, equipped and empowered to be God's "people acting in community together."