"Now, join your hands, and with your hands your hearts." William Shakespeare

Over the past weekend I had the privilege of witnessing what happens when people work with one another to create something bigger than themselves. In many ways this is not an unusual thing. Certainly people do it every day in their work, in their families, at their schools. But if you can be truly aware of what is happening while it is happening,  it is a beautiful and wondrous things to behold. 

On Saturday I watched as a family came together for the wedding of their two children. Each family brought the best of what they had to offer and through careful planning and gracious communication, what evolved was a blessed representation of the love they had for their two children, of the love they had witnessed in their children. I have to admit that,unfortunately, I have been present to the many times when this was not the case. Where families feud and fuss over the silliest details often forgetting the real reason they have all gathered. To be witness to their children's marriage! So, to see it done, well, with pride, faith, creativity and sheer joy is a delight.

Later that same evening I attended a benefit concert that rocked the rafters of our church. The music was thrilling, the performance sublime. But what struck me most were the many ways people had chipped in to do their part. We were greeted with smiling faces. We were ushered with hospitality. We were surrounded by countless people who were holding tightly to the adage that 'many hands make light work.' With all the hands that had joined to bring this concert to birth, it was a tapestry of cooperation and enthusiasm. Every part of the team mattered which was evidenced at every turn.

Yesterday morning our worship was a combination of two worshiping communities that can, from the outside, be seen as quite different from one another. The music they sing reflects different styles. The words they say can sometimes express divergent theologies. Even the ways they dress can seem to be at odds. But careful attention had been paid to what the other valued most and the leadership had spent intentional time communicating well, asking important questions, clarifying ideas. In other words, they had played well with one another. Like children on the playground, they had brought all their toys to the table and shared what they liked to play with most. It resulted in a beautiful worship experience where everyone was able to express their worship in ways that felt comfortable and authentic, where everyone felt heard and had the safety to speak.

Playing well with others is an important skill we teach children from an early age. And yet, as adults, we often forget the rules of the sandbox. We take off our listening ears and put on our mean faces. We hoard the tools of our trade and keep our doors closed to any new ideas someone else might bring to the table.  This kind of playing never leads to much creativity and even less fun.

I am grateful for the opportunities I experienced this past weekend. I like bringing my best toys to the playground and to see what others have brought, too. I love being a part of any experience where I can be stretched and challenged to grow. But best of all I just like how it feels at the end of the day to know that I have had the blessing of playing well with others.