1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time on and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers.

Jenny loves a good trust fall.  We have both worked in the world of non profits and trust falls seem to be a staple in any good ice breaker worthy event…youth groups, staff strengthening, strategy planning, student retreats…you name it and a good trust fall is bound to appear.  This is like the picture above where someone falls and trusts the group to catch them.  There is also the one on one trust fall as well..

It has become a bit of a joke around our house that events will include trust falls, that every once in a while we need a good trust fall, or that the world needs more of them in general.

What will that meeting include?
Oh…trust falls.

What did you do today?
Well, I needed a trust fall.

In all seriousness, trust falls do build up trust, that much needed element in any team. I need to know that you will catch me in any circumstances or that you have my back.  While kind of cheesy, it is a really great exercise to do in a team scenario.

In a community of gathered folks, trust is vital.  With my United Methodist clergy colleagues we have been talking a lot about trust. We don’t really trust each other. There has been so much competition and talking about each other to each other that we have lost the foundation of what it means to have each other’s backs.  In October, we had a gathering of all of the elders and worked on this issue by becoming vulnerable with one another. We shared our stories and it was incredibly powerful.  We don’t do this well even though we preach the need. What if the most counter cultural thing we can do as people of God is to actually be vulnerable with one another and trust one another?

In a world that is so individual driven, perhaps this is just what might make the world a better place.  If we don’t trust one another, does it mean that we aren’t very trusting of God either?  How can we be if we don’t trust what is around us or that people can be good?  The Psalmist proclaimed that trust is the very key to following God.  If we trust in God, we are set.  The rest will fall into line.  But to trust, we also must be vulnerable to let the other in or even God in.

Can we do that?  This is hard for me…to open up and trust on someone else.  I am used to taking care of myself…

In my life, I now have another person who has my back. It is the most amazing thing.  When I have had the longest day ever, this person is cooking food so that I might have what I need to replenish.  I turn around in church and she is checking in with people so that I might have the story because she feels as though she is an extension of my ministry.  How cool is that?  I trust her to be there when I need support and I hope that she trusts that I will be there to also lift up or catch…someone to have her back. Is that what trust is like?  Do I trust that God will also catch my fall?

What would it be like to walk through life like that?
Peace,
C

    Peace be upon Israel!