I am grateful for spaces where we can bring all of ourselves — our joys, our fears, our connections, our concerns, and our hopes.
Once a month, I have the great pleasure of leading a Sunday morning service at a local church among a community called Parables. This community centers the needs of disabled and neurodivergent community members. I have loved building friendships with this community. This Sunday, I was touched as we made space to share community celebrations and deep concerns alike. Among them, we expressed worries for undocumented children in our school systems and beloved people who are waiting for travel visas. We surrounded each other in these concerns and honored the love that people feel.
I’m so glad we made space for this.
Later, after I gave the reflection, I moved into our time of communion. Two community members held the bread and the cup. I began, “On the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus gathered with his friends — his disciples — to share a meal, and –”
I paused.
“Oh my gosh, look at Fergus,” I continued. “Look at his tail wagging! Yes, Fergus, this meal is so wonderful,” I said, addressing him.
Fergus is one of the therapy dogs who comes on Sundays. He was in the very front row, looking directly at me, smiling in that way that golden retrievers can, and wagging up a storm as I continued to speak.
After we shared the bread and the cup together, we had some more time to name additional needs or upcoming events. “Yes, J,” my co-leader said, gesturing and calling on someone to speak next.
“Fergus is in a really kissy mood today!”
It’s true. He was. He had come over to these two adolescent boys and licked them enthusiastically for which they were overjoyed.
I’m so glad we made space for this, too.
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 