Grace and peace. Martha Johnson at Bible Study this morning acknowledged one of her ‘Goodnesses of God’ this week as an article in the Sunday New York Times titled There’s a Specific Kind of Joy We’ve Been Missing by Dr. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton. The article is about “collective effervescence,” a term coined by early 20th century sociologist Émile Durkheim to describe the “sense of energy and harmony people feel when they come together in a group around a shared purpose.” I encourage you to read it.
Since the beginning of human history, religious traditions have encouraged and even mandated regular gatherings for this collective effervescence to carry our spirits to new heights. Christians call it worship and have come to know it as the moment where God’s heavenly kingdom intersects with our day-to-day lives and where the Holy Spirit directs us to live out Jesus’ call to love. It coalesces when we sing together, pray together, and experience the sacraments together. It’s been happening at St. Patrick’s for over 100 years and recently it is happening in-person every Sunday at 10am.
It is true that as we make our way out of the pandemic, we will naturally experience collective effervescence more and more often at concert halls, sporting arenas, and even at work. The science tells us that gathering in a community grounded in love and charity (like St. Patrick’s) will raise our well-being through our social connections. This is the work of God and God works through each of us. Remember your St. Patrick’s family and know that we are here no matter what.
Faithfully,
kurt@stpatrickschurchdc.org
703-522-2726
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