Fellows who join Life Together are a spiritually eclectic bunch. While the program itself is grounded in the Episcopal tradition with a contemplative Christian flair, the young adults who comprise our community bring a variety of spiritual expressions. Yet within that diversity, sacred chant has been a unifying practice. We listen to one another and meld our voices together into one sound. We begin to tease out harmonies (sometimes poorly, in my case!). We feel the vibrations in the air and in our own bodies, as something emerges that we could not have created alone.

It is particularly beautiful when fellows bring new chants into the community as an expression of that cohort's spiritual journey. When I arrived at Life Together nearly seven years ago, To the Hills expressed our hope for justice in the face of challenge. Later cohorts introduced Loosen, Loosen, giving words to anxious times. The pandemic last year made it hard for the community to chant together. Yet even then, fellows introduced me to a chant that continues to resonate during this challenging season. Blessed Motion starts out: "I believed in solid ground / until I saw the earth in motion / in the winds of steady change / and in the ever-rolling ocean."

As we continue to move through each new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we witness the old sin of racism morph into new expressions, as the war in Ukraine highlights the injustice of all wars, the imagery of change speaks to me in a new way. We cannot be stagnant in the face of the crises around us. We are called to blow like the winds, to move with the Spirit, to combat injustice in new ways-- for the world, for the Church, and for ourselves.

This winter Life Together has been looking closely at our program model and how it can meet the needs of Gen Z young adults. I am grateful to all the fellows, alums, and others who shared their wisdom with us. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information about what we've learned, and how we will move forward as a result. But that process has already highlighted for me how we must move more deeply into commitments around racial justice and local engagement if we seek to strengthen fellow leadership. And it has challenged us not to let a scarcity mindset limit our vision for transformative leadership.

In the midst of change, a strong community helps ground us in our values, even as we move in response to the needs we see around us. That's why I also hope you will save the date for our annual celebration and fundraiser, Linked Through Love, on May 7 from 4-6 pm. Holding flexibility with public health needs, we are planning to gather in-person at Christ Church in Cambridge, in the parish's garden space if weather allows. Look for details and formal invitations in your inbox soon! Your support has been critical in navigating all the changes and challenges of this season, and it would mean so much to all of us to see you there.