Dear WRC,

I’m back! These past three weeks away for rest and revitalization were wonderful and I’m brimming with gratitude. I’m excited to be back and dive back into life with you, catching up on what God is doing in your lives. If you’re around, reach out! I’d love to see you. I’d also be remiss to not thank all those who stepped up to fill gaps while I was away, from worship leading to pastoral care. Thank you for using your gifts to build up our community and give glory to God!

I’m continuing to process my time away and will end up writing a lot more about it for my D.Min. project, but I wanted to share some brief things I learned/remembered:

·         Being part of a church family is a sacred and beautiful gift – I missed you and gave thanks for you and our life together while I was away. I also worshiped at another church for 3 Sundays in a row and was hit between the eyes with profound gratitude for the gift of a local church. I saw grandparents worshiping beside grandchildren, friends laughing and catching up, parents coaxing their children forward for a Children’s Moment, saints rising to sing together. I also felt the immediate bond between us for no other reason than that we belong to Jesus and share a deep love of God. What a beautiful thing the Church is, and we ignore that beauty at our peril.

·         I love my family! – I didn’t discover that for the first time, nor had I forgotten it, but there are times in life when we need to be invited deeper in, right? When we need to be reminded of all the ways it’s so, of all the reasons why, when we need to say it out loud, bring it back to the front of our awareness. Sam is such a gift, always ready to give and put others before herself. She is open to wonder and beauty, passionate in her love and convictions, compassionate and courageous. My kids are sweet and beautiful. Owen is goofy, smart, and more confident than I’ve ever been. Hannah can be so tender, curious, and relational. I love ‘em!

·         God is more present to us than we are to ourselves – That’s a rough paraphrase of St. Augustine of Hippo that I use quite often in preaching and conversation. I believe that; I know that; but I don’t always feel that and live like it. I entered my silent retreat somewhat anxious about the time, wondering if God was going to show up and how and if I was going to “do it right” and if my worrying about that was going to be the thing to actually sabotage it all. Then I shut up, and as the distractions and noise faded away, I was left with God: quiet, patient, intimately present. In swirling thunderclouds, in a tree of goldfinches, in skipping stones, in a field of fireflies, in a silent, ancient oak, in simple meals, in the tides of the Hudson. “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge” (Ps. 19:1-2). God is here. God is with you.

In Christ,

    Pastor Andy