For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3
Let the transitions continue!
The Sundays of June are marked with joy and change and gratitude.
• On June 5th, we will bless twelve high school graduates who were confirmed in the dark (when the power went out!) in 2018.
• On June 12th we will thank our amazing Faith Formation volunteers who teach the youngest to the oldest in our congregation.
• Also on the 12th we will bid Godspeed to two of our most loved young families as they move into new phases of their lives in new locations across the country.
• On June 19th we will hear the Gospel from our new Transition Facilitator, Pastor David Hahn, who will be guiding our transition team through this important next step of discernment.
• On the 19th we will also remember and celebrate the liberation of our Black siblings on Juneteenth. Thanks be to God!
• On June 26th we will honor and support the queer community on June 26th by marching in the Pride Parade, to advocate especially for the transgender folx and children in our community.
What a wonderful list of things to celebrate this month! Even though we continue to find ourselves on uncertain ground in times of war, pandemic, fear, strife, and change –
God is GOOD.
Even as our lives are getting busier, and the world scarier in many ways we can still point to the joy. A parent recently came into my office to chat and said, “It feels like everything is optional these days. Things you thought were mandatory just aren’t, and things you thought couldn’t be cancelled are. It’s hard to know what’s what.”
I couldn’t agree more. The illusion of control in our lives has never felt so raw and apparent – especially for people who like to have a good sense of which way is up and which way is down. It didn’t used to seem like much of an ask, but apparently, these days it is.
As you search for your anchor, I invite you to remember that in the sea of life’s chaos, God’s spirit of peace is a calm inlet, inviting you to remember who you are. This summer, we will have a different rhythm for worship – Holy Communion at 10 am, and Holden Evening Prayer at 7 pm. We hope that with this consistent offering of meal, prayer and song, we can find solace together even as things continue to shift. I want to extend a special welcome to families with little ones to the evening service – put them in their jammies and bring them to church, and let the music be a blessing and lullaby for them as they find their way in the long summer evenings. (Adults are invited to do so as well.)
Peace to you,
Pastor Gretchen