The Non-Anxious Presence
Pastors speak often about needing to offer a non-anxious presence in times of trouble and turmoil—when a family is planning a memorial service and ancient grudges surface, for instance, or when a church is dealing with conflict or controversy. If the pastor is reactive or not grounded, odds are everyone else’s unsettled, uncomfortable feelings will increase and finding a wise way forward will prove challenging as drama piles on top of drama.
Jesus was the ultimate non-anxious presence. You’ll likely remember the story of the time when Jesus and his disciples were crossing over the Sea of Galilee. A wild storm came up, his homies freaked, and they frantically looked for him; when they finally found him, he was deep in sleep. “Don’t you care about us! We’re going to drown!” they shouted. Jesus didn’t react, he simply got up, told the wind and the waves to quiet down, and calm was restored.
I’ve gone into church meetings where folks were on edge about something and I knew it fell to me to be the non-anxious presence. I had to work hard in those instances to keep breathing, to quiet my mind, to ask questions rather than make statements, and to do my best to support the resilience of the group.
When Leadership and interested others met after worship last Sunday to identify potential new locations now that we know we need to move by the end of February, I didn’t need to give a moment’s thought to being intentional about being a non-anxious presence. Why? The gathered group wasn’t anxious! The gathered group had a sturdy confidence that things will work out just fine, even though we all recognized that there is legwork to do and discernment to engage in.
How very fortunate I am to serve a church who isn’t made afraid by some turbulence. How beautiful to witness the absence of fingernail chewing, dire predictions, angry accusations, or any of those other ways we humans have of behaving when we are unable to find our center, our peace.
In these days of wondering about where we’ll wander next, it might be natural to have a moment or two of feeling nervous about the future. When that happens, find someone you trust and simply say “I need to share that I’m concerned about ____.” Let your confidante’s settled spirit and access to peace ground you. And if you need another serving or two along the way, it’s right there for the taking. Why? Because together we’re a non-anxious presence.
We may experience some rough water along the way but together we’ve got what we need to sail smoothly. Not just “what” but “who.” Jesus is with us on this incredible voyage of ours and he’s more than happy to share with us his peace in those times when we most need it.
Yours on the journey,
PS: Last Sunday, Pat Riddell shared a very well-received meditation during our worship service. You can view it here.