The image that has stayed with me the most powerfully today came when I glanced over towards a new brother (a Benedictine monk) who had come to Church Without Walls for the first time. He was standing in his all-black habit, speaking to one of our regulars before the service. He held a small bag in one hand, while his free arm hung casually at his side. I noticed the ascending curl of smoke first, then saw the lit cigarette balanced between his thin fingers.

After the service, another friend told him: “You can see why I love this community.” He replied, “Of course you do. It’s real.”

It is a relief and a joy to find a community of faith where we each can come as we are. We are invited to be ourselves even as we grow together toward an ever-deepening understanding of our identity in the One who created us all.

I am reminded of the 12-step admonition that tells us we are only as sick as the secrets we keep. We need a community where it is okay to bare our souls, where it is okay to shine light on hidden shame and regret. We need a community that helps us feel safe to rid ourselves of the masks we have hidden behind just to get by. God makes that possible — and our job is to keep the party going.

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)