Dispersed but United

February 27th, 2021 | Jason Curry

Hello everyone and welcome to Discovery’s new blog! My name is Jason Curry and I’m Discovery’s Communications Director. I prefer the title of “Supreme Commander” or “Czar” but at this point, Sir Jason will do. I will serve as a sort of host, writing the first entry of the month, introducing that month’s theme, and setting the table for what is to come.

When I started this job with Discovery three months ago, my personal ministry goals were very clear: I want to hear from the people of our church, and I want everyone to feel as connected as we can in this current landscape. We are obviously living in the midst of unprecedented times; A global pandemic that has changed our way of life, systemic racism and white supremacy and privilege reaching yet another boiling point in the story of this nation, and divisions between so many of us that seemingly continues to grow deeper by the day. We’re doing our best to hold it together and move forward. However, if you’re like me, any groove that you’ve managed to create this past year has almost assuredly turned into a rut at some point. What has struck me MOST about all of this, is the fact that while we are all walking through this period of history SIMULTANEOUSLY, we’re not walking through it TOGETHER. And that makes me distressed…but it doesn’t leave me there.

The purpose of this blog is simple. I want to engage this church and develop a team that desires to do the same. I hope to create a touchpoint of connection for a church that is spread between two online services and three campuses across the greater Tacoma area. Somehow, we can remain connected to each other and to the mission and vision of Discovery. Dispersed doesn’t have to mean isolated. Being alone isn’t always lonely.

I have a few promises, some commitments to which I hope this blog holds fast…

1) This blog will be ACCESSIBLE. We are not professional writers. We are not journalists. Some of us haven’t written anything of significance since high school. Some of us HATE to journal! But all of us want to create a space where people feel seen and heard, and we will do that through writing and reflection.

2) This blog will be AUTHENTIC. For instance, this past month I’ve felt like a rogue branch, too twisty, too complicated, too unruly to be of any significance to the Kingdom of God or His people. I know MANY of the people on this team would feel the same way (but probably use a different analogy lol). And you want to know something? I will write from that perspective. Because that’s where I’m at. In fact, a week ago Monday, I woke up feeling this unbearable swell of sadness and an undertow of depression that was trying to drag me under the waves. I drove the hour to work in near tears. Yesterday was HARD. And if that’s what I’m going through, that’s what I’m going to blog about. I believe, wherever I’m at and whatever I’m going through, I can find Jesus. He may feel as near as my own shadow, He may feel farther from me than ever, but He’s never GONE. And I find such great comfort in that, even on my worst days.

3) This blog will be DIVERSE. Nearly half of our team are men and women of color. All age groups and generations are represented. We will read reflections from some high school/college students. About a third of our team are men. I want to hear from EVERYONE. Many of us have been marginalized or made to feel that our stories, our experiences, and the unique ways Jesus walks with us and whispers to us aren’t as valid or needed as others that are historically are more prominent or easily received. The truth is this: We were all, each of us, created in His image. The more diverse we are, the more we engage with those who are different from us, the bigger our view of God becomes.

The thing I hope we all can remember is that the church isn’t Giaudrone Middle School. The church isn’t our green folding chairs. The church isn’t just Pastor Jon and his Sunday sermons. The church is US. Yup, regular ol’ you and me. We make up the body. And wherever we gather, whenever we occupy Gospel space, church happens. Church will be happening on this blog. I sure hope you will join us and read along.

THIS MONTH:

For March, and with Easter approaching, we will be walking through Jesus’s betrayal, crucifixion, and burial. Our main focus will be interacting with the stories of the people who encounter Jesus and HIS story along the way. Who were these men and women? What do we know? What can we learn? Some of them, like Simon of Cyrene, we only read one or two verses about. Others, like Judas, we have much more information on. All of these engagements are valuable and significant not just for what they meant then, but what they mean and how they’re speaking to us today. As straightforward as some of these accounts are, So much is said in the commas, in the verse breaks, in the spaces and margins of a life often reduced in our minds to a few sentences…