It is clear from our faith tradition and from our science of human behavior that human beings are designed for relationships.  The Old Testament and the New Testament are stories about relationships.  Basic to our Christian faith is our relationship with God and our relationships with each other.

To understand how relationships work, we will begin with how relationships develop between children and their caregivers.  One aspect of the developmental process that children traverse is how they learn to attach to their caregivers.  If the human environment is safe enough, soon after babies are able to see, an interesting rhythm begins to occur.  They focus on their caregiver’s face, and then they look away to other parts of the environment.  Once they are able to crawl and eventually walk, this same rhythm occurs in their movements.   They move toward their caregivers and then away to another interest.

This rhythm is present in our relationships for our entire lives.  In every primary attachment we have, whether it be marriage, partnership, or best friend, this attachment rhythm plays a crucial role.

Why is it so difficult to maintain primary relationships in our culture?  The reason is that we have many opportunities that will create avoidance of our being open, vulnerable, and connected with our special people.  Our cell phone is only one of those alternatives.  Work, hobbies, illnesses, pregnancy, children, or addictions are only a few of the options available to us that can either stop or slow the rhythm so much that our attachment becomes weak and fragile.

Join us to explore this aspect of our relationship with others and with God.

Dave is a retired psychologist and a member of our congregation.

The class will begin on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in person in rooms 13 and 14 or on Zoom.  The Zoom link is ID:  976 0612 3777.  There is no passcode.  Just put in the ID.