Beloved Friends-
It is wonderful to be back among you after a time of deep rest and renewal. Thank you to all who worked so hard over the past 4 weeks to keep so many plates spinning- it truly does take a village to feed the hearts and souls of our community and I am so very grateful. During my absence we were reminded that no one person is central in the work of the people; we experienced different voices and leaders and expressions of the holy in all her splendor.
And, yes, it also feels wonderful to come home; both home to the place where I lay my head and rest my soul at the end of every day with Kim, but also home to you. September 1 marked our 5-year anniversary in ministry together. In some ways it feels both shorter and longer. And I suspect that having lived through the last couple of years navigating COVID and the impact it had and continues to have on our ministry gives an added perspective as well.
Overall, I have never felt more called and energized by a congregation and the ministry we share. You are truly my partners/siblings in Christ and each day I feel blessed knowing we have each other on this journey. We have navigated many changes over these first few years; worship times/places and styles, music ministry, leadership, formation, children, community engagement, community-building, vision-crafting, baptisms, weddings, funerals, building improvements, staffing configurations, stewardship development- and the creation of a second ongoing weekly worship service – an online digital worship presence- it is hard to think of an area of ministry we haven’t touched. And yet, there is still so much to discern and discover together.
So, as we find our way back into our September routines and rhythms know that Trinity is everything it is because we continue to come home together and to a love that surpasses all our attempts to define or confine its very nature. As we will hear in the Gospel lesson on Sunday- it is a kind of love that is at once extravagant, persistent, accessible, and knowable.
Wherever you are on your journey my beloved friends, thank you for showing up day after day in your big, bold, bodacious ways!
WELCOME HOME!
May you never forget that you are loved.
Lisa