Dear Grace, 

Every summer I find myself craving salty food—sweating out all those electrolytes in this wowza heat! Makes me think of a beloved Bulgarian proverb about salt… 

За да опознаеш един човек, трябва да изядеш един чувал сол. 

To get to know a person, you’ve gotta eat a pound of salt together. 

We’re in that season—me getting to know you over cups of coffee with tasty kolaches, crunchy sandwiches and salty chips, sparkling water and savory pho. It takes time to eat a pound of salt; it takes time to get to know each other. I'm grateful for each meal we’ve had so far and all those to come—my intention is to listen deeply to you and to the Spirit of God among and within you.

We’ll begin planning intentional listening sessions soon. They’ll be gatherings in members’ homes that give us a chance to get to know each other in small groups. I look forward to getting to know you and hearing what you love about Grace, what brought you here, and what you’re longing for—I’m excited to hear your stories. 

I hope you’ll join us this coming Sunday morning for our final week in our Kinship with Jesus sermon series. We’ll spend time reflecting together on how prayer plays a role in our call to kinship. Join me in preparing your heart for the Holy Spirit’s work by reading this Sunday’s text (Luke 11:1-13) early!

I’m praying for you—that as you’re practicing kinship with Jesus this week and letting your heart rate come down, your life is blessing all around you, too. 

With you, 

Pastor Hannah