Dearly Beloved,
Thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to be away this last week. I want to offer particular thanks to our music minister Nicoletta Glantz, our preacher/worship leader Brian Schuetz, the Wisharts who led children's time, and our moderators Greg Greaves and Frank Kauffman who facilitated our Board Meeting this past Monday.
In addition to having some time to take care of things at home, I was able to:
- Do Continuing Education at YMCA of the Rockies on Friday & Saturday with colleagues, learning about Mary Magdalene from Rev. Nicole Lamarche whose sabbatical grant took her to France and Italy this last summer;
- Retreat to a cabin in Allen's Park with a dear graduate school friend. We sat and read by the fire, had long conversations about life, hiked in Wild Basin, snow-shoed in Rocky Mountain National Park, drank strong coffee and ate good food.
There continues to be a weariness and deep levels of anxiety that many of us are feeling collectively and individually. We are not sure what this new administration will bring (however we voted!). We worry about climate crisis as fires continue to rage in Los Angeles. We celebrate a peace accord in Gaza. We wonder how long the war in Ukraine will continue on. There is a lot going on in our personal lives and our world.
And there are also so many ways in which we are blessed -- individually and collectively. The world is a beautiful place and even when life is marked by pain and grief, so is it marked by hope and joy. We are a thriving multigenerational congregation, blessed by individuals working in front of and behind the scenes sharing incredible gifts, talents, and so much time! We have young people and children actively participating in our worshiping life together. We want to know and love each other better.
As our scripture for Sunday reads: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
We are so very blessed by so many gifts within our congregation -- people using their particular talents to share God's extravagant love with people near and far.
What are your particular gifts? How do you share them for the common good? How are your gifts a manifestation of God's Spirit in the world? Let us give thanks and celebrate these gifts together!
With gratitude and great love,
Thandiwe
