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After Christmas, we left town for a bit. This included the Sunday after Christmas, where Brooks Jones adeptly navigated the lessons and carols and led the regular service. Many thanks to him, the choir, musicians, and readers.
Every time we return from a trip, I continue my daily routine of walking the campus before retiring for the night. Without fail, I return to find something not done that I usually do. It might be a bathroom light, a book sitting far from its normal spot, or a flower arrangement the wind knocked over in the Memorial Garden.
The first time I observed these, my reaction was to address them with people for the future. I never did, because I had an epiphany the second time I returned from a trip and found things done and left undone. But one might say these are all signs of a beloved community, a product of a living, breathing church. And I am grateful for that.
So I changed how I look at these minute tasks. They are not about the church. Nor are they about you. They are about me, plain and simple. They speak to the piety I practice in order to feel close to God. One of those is a simple walk around the campus each night. And as I go through my mental checklist for each building, I thank God for the electricity, water, and plumbing we do have. I give thanks for each of you and our ministries. I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for the day, the challenges, and the successes. That intentional practice brings me joy as I commune with God. It encourages me to do the things no one else notices and won’t move mountains, but it is a conversation between me and God.
Everything we do for God is prayer. That includes the big things, like holding
to our Baptismal Covenant and attending church. But it includes the still
and the small, the overlooked and unimportant of the moment. I believe
God sees them all and holds them in equal measure.
Love Big and Be Well,
Stephen +
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