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Welcoming Others Into the Mess

As we move through December’s full sparkle and January’s deep quiet, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to let people into our lives — not just when everything looks “picture perfect,” but especially when it doesn’t.

Recently, when talking with our council, someone asked me how a beloved member of our congregation was doing as she navigates a confusing and uncertain health situation. The question itself was an act of love. But what struck me most was what sits underneath that concern: the sheer grace of having people who want to be welcomed in, even when the house isn’t tidy, the dishes are undone, and the paperwork is piling on the dining room table.

In a season when every commercial and Instagram post tells us to polish up our lives until they shine like a freshly lit Advent wreath, it is a brave and sacred thing to let someone see the mess.

Because the truth is:
None of us were meant to live curated lives. We were meant to live connected ones.

The Incarnation — God choosing to dwell with us — is the ultimate expression of this. Christ was not born into a sanitized, carefully staged nativity scene. God came into a world of political turmoil, overcrowded housing, exhausted parents, and a feeding trough that probably smelled exactly like… well… a feeding trough.

God shows up in the mess.
And God teaches us to show up for one another in the same way.

So, as we enter these next two months, the festive rush of December and the deep-breath reset of January, I want to encourage you:

· Let someone come over even if you haven’t had time to clean.

· Reach out even if you feel disorganized, overwhelmed, or not quite yourself.

· Say “yes” when someone asks if you need anything, even if that’s not your usual instinct.

And be that presence for others, a safe harbor where perfection is not required.

Life is full of dishes-in-the-sink seasons, and paper-on-the-table seasons, and bewildering-diagnosis seasons. What a gift it is to have companions who step across the threshold anyway.

This winter, may you be surrounded by people who love you enough to enter the beautiful, holy mess with you, and may you have the courage to let them.

In the Light of Christ,
Pastor Gretchen

Bad Ideas Lead to Good Ideas: A Creative and spiritual Hack for Breakthroughs

I have a phrase that I have always lived by, but started sharing it as a joke with my husband. Now it has grown into one of my favorite life tools:
“Bad ideas lead to good ideas.”

It began as a way to break through his frustration when he hit executive dysfunction. Stuck in the overwhelm of a problem, he would shut down. I’d nudge the ice with this phrase, toss out something ridiculous, and before long, we’d be laughing our way into real solutions.

But the longer I’ve lived with it, the more I realize this isn’t just a clever trick. It’s rooted in both science and mysticism.

The Science of Why “Bad Ideas” Work

When we feel blocked, our nervous system often tips into fight, flight, or freeze. Creativity collapses, and the problem feels impossible. The brain narrows its options.

But when we say, “bad ideas are welcome here,” something amazing happens:

· It reduces stakes. The pressure to be perfect drops, and our prefrontal cortex (responsible for problem-solving) comes back online.

· It taps divergent thinking. Studies in creativity research show that brainstorming “wrong” or “silly” answers actually primes the brain to make novel connections. The “bad” ideas become scaffolding for better ones.

It invites play. Play signals safety to the nervous system, which increases dopamine. Dopamine fuels pattern recognition, the brain’s ability to spot connections it missed before.

In short: when you allow bad ideas, you’re hacking your biology for breakthroughs.

The Spiritual Dimension

Mystics through the ages have described something like this process.

· In contemplative prayer, St. Teresa of Ávila spoke of beginning with “imaginary prayer” (your own attempts, clumsy as they may be) before being lifted into “infused contemplation” (grace breaking through).

· In yogic philosophy, imagination is the doorway into ether — the subtle field of possibility where all things exist. Even a rough, imperfect entry opens access to flashes of clarity.

Many modern mystics would call this working in the ether — tossing something into the field, however flawed, and trusting the field to respond with something truer, richer, clearer.

That moment when the “fantastic answer” arrives? It’s the same current as a eureka moment, the breakthrough. What began as a silly offering becomes the channel for revelation.

How to Use This in Daily Life

1. Name the stuckness. Say it aloud: “We’re stuck.”

2. Invite the bad ideas. Make the rule: no idea is too dumb, too impossible, too silly.

3. Play. Offer a terrible solution and laugh about it. (“We’ll just knock down the whole house and start over!”)

4. Listen for the shift. Notice when your body relaxes and a new thought sneaks in.

Catch the good idea. It will often feel obvious and easy once it shows up.

Why It Matters

“Bad ideas lead to good ideas” isn’t just a quip, it’s a spiritual principle. It reminds us that failure isn’t final; it’s fuel. That play isn’t frivolous; it’s a portal. That imagination, even in its silliest forms, can open us into the field where wisdom resides.

So, the next time you’re stuck, don’t clench harder. Offer the bad idea. Break the ice. Let the laughter loosen your system. And then watch, the good idea will come tumbling in with ease.

Seeds of Hope: What’s Growing Among Us

As summer turns toward fall, our gardens remind us that growth comes in many forms. Some seeds are intentionally planted and tended, while others surprise us, like a patch of mint springing up behind the fig tree, or wildflowers that find their way into the cracks of the sidewalk. Both kinds of growth have value, both bring beauty, and both remind us that God works in ways we don’t always plan.

At our recent council meeting, we noticed the same pattern in our life together as a congregation. Some of the “seeds” we are planting are very practical: stewarding our finances carefully, preparing a balanced budget for 2026, and planning ahead for major needs, such as replacing the church roof. Other seeds look more like relationships: caring for unhoused neighbors who come to our property seeking shelter and creating resource cards that point them to community services. Still others are seeds of celebration: plans for Second Sundays, conversations about fellowship events during Advent, and new members finding their place in confirmation class.

Each of these decisions is a seed we plant together, trusting God to bring the growth. Some will sprout quickly, others may take time to bear fruit, and a few will grow in unexpected directions. But all of them are rooted in the same hope, that our life together would reflect Christ’s kingdom here and now.

Jesus once said that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: small at first but growing into a tree where all kinds of birds can find shelter (Mark 4:30–32). May the seeds we plant as a congregation this season become places of welcome, care, and hope, for us, for our neighbors, and for all who are seeking God’s love.

Reflection for each of us:

Which “seeds” of ministry excite you most right now? Where do you see God growing something new among us?

Join us in celebrating the installation of the Rev. Stephen R. Herr as Bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod, ELCA. This joyful worship service is a time for the whole church to gather, give thanks, and pray for Bishop Herr as he begins his call to serve and lead our synod.

Saturday, October 25, 2025
2:00 p.m.; Prelude begins at 1:30 p.m.

St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 30 West Chestnut St., Hanover, PA 17331

ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry will preach and preside.
A reception will follow the service.All are welcome to attend as we share in fellowship and celebration.

For more details click here.