From the Pastor's Desk
As I sit to write my reflection for February, I am aware that in the first few months I have been with you, we have experienced some of our "firsts" together. The first week after I arrived, we celebrated by first baptism. In November we honored the saints in this church and our lives then we remembered and gave thanks for the Veterans in our community. Thanksgiving was hardly over when we gathered early Saturday morning to prepare for the annual Hanging of the Greens service. What a lovely way to mark the beginning of the Advent journey. Then we moved into the season of preparation that is filled with delight, traditions and a willingness to open not only our church but our Spirits to the coming of the Christ child.
During the Advent season we gathered for an evening supper and conversation as we prepared for our Christmas celebrations. We are so blessed to have so many gifted musicians who lovingly and readily share their gifts with the congregation. On Christmas Eve, our service was enriched by musicians, younger and more seasoned, whose music deepened our sacred celebration. On epiphany, I invited you to receive a "star word" as we contemplate through the year how a single random word might lead us more intentionally into God's presence. Now, we look forward to the further unfolding of this new year and all that God will reveal to us.
In the coming months there will be more opportunities to gather for worship, study, sharing and discernment. We will celebrate more "first" together as we continue to get to know one another. I look forward to deepening our connections with our siblings in Christ from Methodist church and beyond. As we continue on this journey, sharing your memories and stories will be an essential part of this process. The Coordinating council is planning to meet later in the month in retreat to begin looking at where the church has been, not to get stuck in nostalgia, but to move forward into the future that awaits us.
I ask you to engage in this process as much as you are able. If your capacity is more limited, we welcome your prayers for the work that we are doing. We will do our best to keep you informed of where the process is taking us. I invite those of you who are able to share your wisdom, insights, prayers and presence in as many ways as you can in the coming year. In order to discern God's call upon us into the future we will have to make this work a priority. Some of the things we have done in the past may need to pause so that we can steward our time and talents toward this process.
The Reverend Mariann Budde, Episcopal bishop for the diocese of Washington, DC preached recently at the inaugural prayer service. In her sermon she called upon the people of the country to make unity a priority in the years ahead. This is not always easy, however she reminded the congregation that day that unity is possible when we honor the worth of all people and we practice both honesty and humility. I believe the same is true for the work we are called to do. With these three things in mind, we can faithfully discern the plan God has for this beloved congregation. May it be So!
Peace,
Rev. Lynne
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