Where do you draw strength from?
My name is Rev. Dr. Troy Sybrant and I am the newly arrived senior pastor of Murray Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Beaverton.
I began investing in communities early in my career, working alongside a 98 percent black community to secure low-income housing in Chicago. I helped HIV-positive people obtain housing and tracked welfare reform at the state level in Nashville. I have served on ecumenical and interfaith organizations wherever I have lived. I credit my “great cloud of witnesses” as a source of inspiration and strength: family, friends, teachers, mentors, and community members.
The process of moving to a new community is a deeply spiritual undertaking and sorting one’s belongings raises questions.
- Do I really need to keep this item or can it be sold, donated, or recycled?
- What will I never miss if it’s gone?
- How much “stuff” do I really need to carry forward into my new space, my new community?
- What habits or behaviors can I leave behind in order to travel more freely, more lightly, and more joyfully into my new place?
- Why wait until a major move to downsize and live more expansively?
The challenges of an individual life are more than any one person alone can bear. I draw strength from my family and friends. The challenges of an individual household are more than any one family can bear. I draw strength from my neighbors and my congregation. The challenges our community, nation, and world are facing are more than any single group can bear alone. I draw strength from joining local, regional, national, and international groups collaborating for the common good of all.
What are the challenges in your life? Where you draw your strength from? Answer the latter to overcome the former and peace will follow.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to integrating myself into the life of Beaverton.
Rev Sybrant has a Masters in Divinity, Social Work, and a Doctor of Ministry. For more information, visit us at 15050 SW Weir Road www.murrayhills.org | 503-524-5230
