Church,

How do you organize your books? Do you organize them by author? Genre? Color? How people organize their personal libraries is something that I find fascinating. We are all so unique and that’s a wonderful thing. You and I could have the exact same books, and organize them in a completely different way.

When we come to church together, some of the things we love are exactly as we want them. There are other times when our preferences are not met. Since we started to worship mainly online, our imaginations for how things should be have broadened.

With the rise of people getting vaccinated, we have been able to dream and imagine what our communities will be like when Covid-19 is in our past. I confess that I’m often tempted to want the world to look like it was before this pandemic. It’s what I’m most familiar with. The more I pray about transitioning into a new season together, the more I begin to realize that we will be shifting to a new normal.

I hope and pray that we all take some of the best lessons from this past year. For example, the ways we connect and care for one another are two unexpected gifts. Something else that I’ve discovered is a different pace of life; an expectation of a schedule not filled to the brim. We live in a world where a full schedule can be a point of pride. Our value can be wrapped up on what we do rather than who we are.

As we all begin to consider a new season together, will you pray with me and consider how the Holy Spirit is moving? As we anticipate the Spirit, may we all hold on to the beauty of this season that is diverse and wonderful.

Peace be with you,

Pastor DJ