YORK, FOR A CONVERSATION WE HOPE
WILL INSPIRE.
>>> IN A YEAR OF HEARTACHE AND
ANGER AND GRIEF, MANY HAVE
WONDERED WHERE TO FIND FAITH AND
HOPE.
MICHAEL RANCHINO IS THE FOUNDING
PASTOR OF GOOD SHEPHERD NEW
YORK, A CHURCH LIKE SO MANY THAT
HAS HAD TO GO DIGITAL TO CONNECT
WITH PARISHIONERS AND SHEPHERD A
COMMUNITY SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
IN A TIME WHEN SO MUCH HAS BEEN
LOST.
>> EARLY ON I THOUGHT ABOUT
PROBABLY THE SHORTEST VERSE IN
THE BIBLE, WHICH IS, JESUS WEPT.
BUT WHAT I FOUND IN JESUS
WEEPING WAS A HOPEFUL WAY, IT’S
ACTUALLY OKAY TO FACE THE LOSS
AND TO CRY.
AND GOD IS OKAY WITH THAT.
AND I THINK THIS IS A TIME TO BE
HONEST.
AND IF THAT’S GRIEF, THAT’S
GRIEF.
IF THAT’S ANGER, THAT’S ANGER.
BUT WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT
WE’LL GET SOMEWHERE THROUGH
THAT.
>> I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE WANT HOPE.
THEY WANT REAL HOPE, SOMETHING
THAT THEY CAN HOLD ONTO.
FOR YOU, WHAT DOUBT THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE IN YOUR CHURCH AND IN
YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY, WHERE
SHOULD THEY FIND HOPE?
>> ONE OF THE EARLIEST STORIES
THAT SORT OF POPPED FOR ME IN
THE TIME OF A PANDEMIC RELATES
TO THAT, HOPE.
AND WHAT I FOUND IS THAT HERE WE
HAVE A MOMENT IN THE STORY OF
JESUS WHERE HE IS FEEDING THE
MULTITUDES, RIGHT?
IT’S LIKE THE FAMOUS FEEDING OF
THE 5,000.
AND EVERYONE IS HUNGRY AND IT’S
AT A SCALE THAT IS BEYOND ANY
ONE PERSON’S ABILITY TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT.
AND HERE THE DISCIPLES COME TO
JESUS AND THEY’RE LIKE, WHAT DO
WE DO?
AND HIS QUESTION OF THEM IS,
WELL, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
AND IT TURNS OUT IN THAT STORY,
OF COURSE, THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF
LOAVES AND SOME FISH, AND THEN
THERE IS THIS AMAZING MIRACLE
WHERE EVERYONE WALKS AWAY WITH
PLENTY LEFT OVER.
AND I FIND MYSELF ASKING THE
QUESTION RIGHT NOW IN THIS TIME,
WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME
THAT I MAYBE HAVEN’T HAD EYES TO
SEE?
WHAT CAN I APPRECIATE?
WHAT IS A GIFT, HOW CAN I
CHANNEL GRATITUDE IN THAT?
HOW CAN I SAY THANK YOU?
>> THERE ARE TWO PARTS OF IT.
IT’S SO STRIKING TO ME.
IT’S WHAT DO I HAVE, AND THE
NEXT PART IS, AND HOW CAN I
SHARE IT.
>> EXACTLY.
HAVING IS ONE THING, AND
APPRECIATING IT, THAT’S THE
FIRST STEP.
BUT THEN SHARING IT IS WHERE WE
GET REAL JOY.
AND I THINK I’VE BEEN MOST
HOPEFUL AS I’VE SEEN THE
GENEROSITY OF PEOPLE DURING A
VERY DARK TIME.
AND TO ME THAT’S WHAT CHRISTMAS
IS ALL ABOUT.
>> THIS REMINDS ME OF YOUR
SERMON ON SUNDAY WHICH WAS ABOUT
JOY.
BUT I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING
TO ALL OF US IN THE CHURCH WAS,
YOU DON’T FEEL THAT REAL JOY
WITHOUT SOMETIMES ALSO FEELING
THAT SADNESS.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND WHEN WE TRY TO PROTECT
OURSELVES AND KEEP EVERYTHING
EVEN, YES, WE THINK WE’VE
PROTECTED OURSELVES FROM PAIN,
BUT WE’VE ALSO PROTECTED
OURSELVES FROM JOY.
DID I CATCH THAT RIGHT?
>> I THINK OF IT LIKE THE HUMAN
HEART HAS ONE VALVE.
IT’S EITHER OPENING OR CLOSING.
AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE
DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES ARE A
TIGHTENING OF THAT VALVE, A
CLOSING OFF OF THAT VALVE.
AND I FIND LIKE THE OPENNESS
REQUIRED FOR JOY, THE OPENNESS
REQUIRED TO LOVE IS ALSO
VULNERABLE.
IT MEANS YOU CAN ALSO LET IN
THINGS LIKE FEAR AND IT FEELS
RISKY AND IT CAN BE DARK AT
TIMES.
BUT OPEN HEART IS THE ONLY WAY
TO LIVE.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT THE BIBLE
CALLS FAITH.
FAITH IS THE OPEN HEART.
>> FINALLY, JUST SINCE YOU ARE A
MAN OF FAITH, WHAT’S A WORD OF
LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW?
>> I WOULD LOVE TO OFFER A WORD
OF LOVE, BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT
OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK OF THINGS
LIKE THE POWER OF MUSIC.
I MEAN, TO ME THAT HAS BEEN ONE
OF THE CLEAREST EXPRESSIONS OF
LOVE TO BLESS US, WITH
INSPIRATION AND TO GIVE LANGUAGE
TO OUR ANGER, TO GIVE LANGUAGE
TO OUR FEAR AND OUR PANIC AND
ALSO HOPE.
>> A SONG IS AS GOOD A WORD AS I
KNOW. ♪
♪
♪ WE ARE GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH,
LOVE IS GONNA GET US THROUGH ♪
>> THAT’S LIKE THE CHURCH CHOIR,
THE MUSICIANS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
COLLECTIVE.
THEY DO MUSIC.
IT’S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A CHURCH
SERVICE ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, YOU
CAN COME TO MY CHURCH.
>> I HAVE TO ADD ONTO THAT.
I FOLLOW THE GOOD SHEPHERD OF
NEW YORK ON INSTAGRAM.
THAT MUSIC COLLECTIVE IS SOME OF
THE BEST MUSICIANS I’VE EVER
SEEN.
I ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE AS THE
PASTOR TALKED ABOUT MUSIC BEING
A WAY OF HEALING TO FOLLOW THEM
FOR SOME INCREDIBLE
INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC.
>> YOU WERE FEELING GENEROUS
RIGHT IN THIS MOMENT DON’T