I went to church this week to record parts of the service for this Sunday. After all this time, I still come to our sanctuary and imagine all our seats filled with familiar faces. In addition to familiar faces, I like to imagine new people walking through our doors seeking community and an encounter with the Holy Spirit. As your pastor, Sunday mornings are one of the highlights of my week. While it’s a highlight, if we reserved all our church to Sundays, we limit all the amazing things God is doing all the other days of the week.

Since the start of the pandemic, my understanding and expectation for worship continues to be reshaped and challenged. After talking with many of you, it’s clear that we are all in uncharted territory. Over the course of history, worship has evolved and shifted as the world changes.

There was once a time when the majority of people were not literate and the people sang songs to teach theology. Stain glassed windows were a visual reminding the people the stories of the Bible. As a parent of middle school children, the church I knew growing up isn’t the church I recognize today. There is a future and a hope for the current and next generation of followers of Jesus.

Now is a great time for us as a community to dig deep, reflect and pray for God’s guidance. There are aspects of our church that are essential to who we are as a faith community. In addition, there are also opportunities for us to learn, grow and share God’s love. While the Covid-19 Delta variant continues, will you join me in praying for courage and wisdom as we seek to be faithful together?

Grace and Peace,

Pastor DJ