Beloved of God,

On Sunday we will read from Matthew 14 when Jesus feeds the 5,000 (men as well as many women and children). It is a story of people gathering together to hear Jesus speak and receive healing. And then they all sit down, and share a meal together that Jesus provides. 

It is, in some ways, a prototype of our own worship services. We come together to hear the Word of God, receive healing in body, mind, and spirit, and eat together the meal that Jesus provides. These days that looks different than it has ever before. I find myself almost jealous of the people from that biblical story who were able to gather with so many others, free from regulations about masks and physical distance. Yet even with those restrictions, even with the many and various places we gather - the yard, the parking lot, the computer screen - we are united by our one Lord Jesus. We still hear God's word for us, we still receive healing, and we still share in Christ's meal. 

I'm so grateful for the ways that you have adapted in these months of upheaval. You have demonstrated grace and flexibility - characteristics that you have grown into over the last year. The Holy Spirit is truly moving in a thought this congregation! 

In Christ,

Pastor Sarah