I have been raised in a world that, in many ways, worships things that are big: big concerts, big events, big hypes, big companies, big shopping malls, etc., etc.
Even in the church world, the watchword of the 90s was: mega-church. The bigger, the better!
But after two small house church gatherings this weekend, I have been thinking of the beauty of small: flowers are small, babies are small, meaningful moments are often intimate and involving a small number of people, desserts are small, tears are small, hugs and kisses are small gestures (though large in meaning), diamonds are small, keepsakes are small, hearts are small…
I have had to re-learn my own church traditions and background in order to grasp it: small church gatherings are incredibly beautiful. In fact, this past weekend I had the privilege of enjoying so many of these small beautiful things: hugs, kisses, tears, desserts, babies, flowers, and meaningful moments.
I am so glad that I am learning to enjoy “small.”
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2 responses to “Small Is Beautiful”
There is an involvement, participation and intimacy in the small that is absent in the big. I recall one of the most powerful church moments for me was in a small group where a group member broke into tears while explaining something that had happened at work, and the group comforted her. In a larger setting, not only would she not have been sharing her story, but even if she had been prompted to tears, it would have been a private affair – someone quietly crying in a pew, or ducking out the back to compose herself.
Instead, it was an incredible moment of love and community, that revolutionised the way that a group of people saw each other and connected with each other.
Me, too. Left a 2500 seat Catholic church for a 400 seat house which is usually half full at main service. At the contemporary service today, there were 20 of us with a dialogue homily. Episopalian, by the way.