Lego Chalices and Cooperative Shenanigans

This month our theme is Paying Attention.

Paying attention is how we notice who is left out.
It’s how we see what is growing.
It’s how we recognize joy when it quietly shows up in the room.

In faith formation this month, we’ll be practicing attention in playful and meaningful ways.

At our Congregational Game Night, hosted by the membership team, we’ll explore cooperative board games. Cooperative games require a different kind of focus. You can’t win alone. You have to listen. You have to notice what your teammates need. Paying attention becomes an act of care.

We’ll also spend time building a LEGO Flaming Chalice together. Building with LEGO may look simple, but it asks us to slow down and really see — which piece fits? What structure will hold? What happens if we try something different? Paying attention is how scattered pieces become something beautiful and strong.

And in our monthly all ages forum, we’ll reflect on the roles of Healers and Guides from the book "Social Change Now" by Deepa Iyer. Healers pay attention to harm and help communities mend. Guides pay attention to direction and possibility, helping us move wisely instead of reactively. Both roles remind us that how we pay attention shapes how we show up in the world.

In a culture that constantly pulls at our focus, practicing attention can feel countercultural. But it is also deeply faithful. When we pay attention to one another, to our values, and to the small sparks of love in our midst, we strengthen the fabric of our community.

This month, I invite you to notice what you might otherwise rush past.
Notice who needs encouragement.
Notice what brings you alive.
Notice where love is already at work.

That’s where faith begins.

With attention.

Peace and Laughter,
Bridget Laflin
Interim Director of Faith Formation