Holy Human Moments

There we were in the dining room. Everyone ate their burger, drank their beverage, and sat still. It’s a simple activity we do every couple of weeks—one often dismissed as unimportant. We go around the room answering three questions:

"What are you grateful for this week?"

"What is dragging?"

"How do you need support?"

The purpose of the activity is to build community and trust. To do that, you have to have a voice, and it has to be heard. I know—rocket science.

Yet this week, something special happened—one of those holy human moments that are all too rare in ministry and life. Last Monday, when we responded to these questions together, something shifted. That something is hard to describe. Many pastors spend years trying to help their congregants experience a moment like this.

We all sat there, having been vulnerable with one another, accepting the soul struggles of everyone’s journey. One person shared how God provided for him in a big way this week. Another shed tears over letting go of a failed relationship. I shared about a rough job transition. There were a few more, too. And then we sat in silence—everyone simply looking around the table.

Everyone had spoken, had said their piece, but no one wanted to leave. There was something more powerful, more salient than all the distractions of the 21st century. It was a holy moment of true acceptance—where everyone’s raw humanity was allowed to exist together in unity. It was the exact kind of moment Jesus is present in.

After about ten minutes, I prayed, and we called it a night. Like all moments, it was just a certain point in time.

Whether it’s pizza, burgers, pickleball, or worship, these are the moments of living spirituality that I aim for. They don’t happen all the time—in fact, they are rare. But when they do, they have the power to be deeply healing for people’s souls. That is what Elihu is all about—journeying with people as they heal and deepen their connection to Jesus.