Sarah Bessey: Our Not-Safe and Very-Good God
The time is now for Canada to rise and lead. God is on the move and Sarah Bessey (one of our fabulous Gather Rise speakers) is eager for women across the country to connect our hearts to one another on October 1st. Are you ready to meet with our "not-safe and very-good" God? Then take the first step today – and together let's see how the path unfolds before us. Register here.
"I believe Canada will lead all of us, that Canadian *women* are going to lead the way for this next movement of the Church."
When I heard those words, my whole spirit leaped in a "YES!" Those words were spoken by an American friend of mine who was right at the beginning of stepping into her own new call of ministry in the United States. We were on the phone for a chat about the big conference and bible study program that she was launching when she dropped those words right into the middle of our conversation. She said them with humility and conviction. She knew that it was time for Canada to begin to rise and to lead.
I've thought about her words often over the past few years as I have seen Canadian women rising up all across our nation, from coast-to-coast-coast, with love and righteousness, with mercy and justice, with abundance and welcome. Right on the heels of that conversation, the dream for Gather began to take shape in so many hearts across Canada. What would it look like for us to do that thing - that leading, that gathering, that gospel-hoping, that showing-up, that refugee-welcoming, that healing, that unsung work - together?
What if, instead of being a pack of disjointed soloists, the church in Canada began to tear down walls that divide us, to reach across denominational and theological lines, to reject tribalism and embrace sisterhood? It would look something like the Kingdom of Heaven breaking through, I believe.
Look, the thing is that God is on the move. Right here, right now. And I want to move with our not-safe and very-good God. And I want to do that with you. I want us, as Canadian women, to do that together. I think that's why things like this are important - it's not about a conference, it's not about hearing anyone preach, it's about connecting our hearts to one another, praying for one another, making friends, helping each other, coming alongside of one another in our holy callings.
No matter what arises out of our gatherings this October or in the months or years to come, I believe that we are sowing seeds of unity, of love, of sisterhood. And I believe that we are stronger together, that we are braver together, and that Canadian women will become an embodiment of the Kingdom of God and will lead with greater power, influence, humility, love, boldness, and kindness than we have ever imagined. This is one expression of that and I'm so eager to see how the path will unfold from this place for us all.
Join me at Gather Rise on October 1st! Let's do this together. Register here.
Sarah Bessey is the author of Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith and Jesus Feminist. She is a writer, a preacher, a social justice wannabe, and a recovering know-it-all. She lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia with her husband and their four tinies. You can find her online at SarahBessey.com or on Twitter at @sarahbessey.