Last month I had the great joy of leading an intergenerational group from Sunnyvale Pres on a trip to visit mission partners all across the north of Ireland. We heard so many ancient histories, and meaningful and painful stories. We received hope from folks who have made the hard decision to pursue peace over vengeance. And we witnessed glimpses of a courageous new world that is being built by generations who are choosing to see each other as fully human. Our experience was such a gift.

The gift of this trip was not just provided by the folks in Derry or Belfast. This gift was made possible by the support of this SVPC community — both financially (through our mission partnerships) and through your prayers and encouragement. You all sent us.

Now we bring back the gifts we received, to share them with you. This Sunday’s worship is the beginning of that re-sharing of grace and hope. Join us for a special worship led by community members of all ages!

Hardy

P.S. Mark your calendar now for June 2 for Promotion Sunday and help us celebrate all our grads!

“To forgive and be forgiven is a leap of faith in the possibility of a fresh start with the antagonistic other that can only be hoped for, imagined and ‘rumoured’ until it is made real by concrete actions and gestures. To promise in a world where no promise except hostility has been kept is a moment of extreme vulnerability for any political leader. Leadership for reconciliation is potentially costly and self-sacrificial and always high risk.”

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.