This week, I invite you to give thanks for hands. As an occupational therapist in a special education preschool, much of my day involves hands – little hands – beautiful hands….. I’ve always found hands and fingerprints fascinating. I grew up being told that our hands are to be the hands of Jesus in the world today. Some of the little children whom I serve do not have much use of their hands for various reasons, yet their hands teach me very much.

This past Sunday we celebrated Pentecost. Pentecost is one of my two most favorite holidays! On Pentecost I am reminded of God’s Spirit in all times, all places, all creatures, and all people. I love thinking about God’s Spirit – too mysterious and wonderful for my comprehension and offering comfort, companionship, consolation, conviction of my sins, correction, guidance, direction, hope…. I love the story of people from many different places gathered together speaking different languages while at the same time understanding one another… I love the energy, the movement, the divine flow…. Pentecost reminds me to give God thanks for my parents who offered me many opportunities to meet people of many languages, shades, beliefs, and experiences.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for more than over two years now! I give thanks to God for the opportunities we have received through the Engaging Young Adults initiative with the Center for Congregations. After applying for and participating in the pilot program, we applied for and received the grant to continue engaging young adults for the official program that goes through April 2022.

During the next year, we will continue to engage young adults (20-35 year olds) through what we have learned by listening to and learning with the young adults.

Dear Friends,

Have you ever received a course correction? I am not sure what training program or class used “course correction” as a way of describing when something needs adjusted but it comes to mind for me sometimes. I had one of those experiences in worship the Sunday after Easter. Pastor Marc helped me remember the importance that the Risen One is also still the Crucified One. I realized that after the season of Lent focused on confession and repentance, I often shift my language very much to resurrection language. I am ready for hope – ready for spring – ready for new life, but as I shared a few weeks ago, life is non-binary. Life is both and. Life is full of suffering and healing. Life is full of tears of pain and tears of joy. Life is full of songs of mourning and songs of celebration.

Dear Beloved,

You are in my thoughts. Whether gathered or scattered, we are united by the creative energy of our Maker, the love of Jesus, and the movement of the Spirit. My being is filled with so much, that I’ve written a number of drafts to you recently, and I’ve been led to offer a simple prayer for this reflection. The stories of Holy Week are filled with many emotions. 

Learning from others is a tremendous blessing! All of you have taught me so much!!!! Thank you!

Something that I learned from Adam Hayden years ago when we met to work on ideas for the Christian Education Ministry Team and the Equipping Ministry Team, was the power of using “and” more frequently than “but.” Around the same time, a colleague often said, “and also” or “and yet.” These faithful leaders helped me to see things and say things as non-binary. Life is rarely “this or that”. Rather it is often “and also.” Life is complex. We as uniquely created people created in the image of a loving and gracious God are complex. Being in community is complex, and complex is not bad.

Dear Beloved Friends,

How is it with your being? Lately I’ve heard a number of people talk about lack of physical movement due to being inside with the cold and snow. I hear you. I love being able to be outside to move my body in big ways. Perhaps I can share with you an idea that I learned from my dad when I was a kid that can allow us to move inside even within a small space. When I was a kid, I had never heard about yoga, but I knew about prayer exercises – moving through stretches with breath and prayers. My dad did them very regularly, and sometimes I would join him. We did them standing up and laying down, but they could be modified and adapted to do when seated.

Dear Friends,

Holy week last year was something so foreign to me. I can imagine that some of you may have felt unusual and many emotions as well. Holy week might be my favorite week of the year. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, the whole week was spent in preparation for Maundy Thursday, Holy Friday, Saturday’s stories/crafts/egg hunt, and Sunday’s joyous celebrations, and it was spent in a church building – not always the same church building but in a building. As I got older, I also tried to meditate out in a garden at some point, but not being in a church building bothered me more than expected because in general I like to be outside and on the move out in the community more than inside a building. At that time, I had not expected for us to pass through all the days that our faith tradition tends to name as especially important or special in the church/liturgical year, but we have…

A few weekends ago, I was doing dishes and enjoying the wonder of God’s world out the kitchen window. These amazing creatures came into view….Oh God, I thirst for you. As I stood with quiet gratitude, I was filled with multiple emotions as so often in the case in these days. Seeing God’s creatures out the window usually fills me with wonder. At the same time, I felt concerned that a group of six deer has been in our yard so often this winter – where are they getting enough food? How will they stay safe on such busy roads?