Greetings!

Where did the summer go? School is about to start, the new program year is about to begin, and the sun sets just a little bit earlier each night. A new season of learning is fast approaching!

Wanna hear something fascinating that I recently learned? Florida carpenter ants perform surgery for one another. When ants in their colony become injured, they will clean the wounds of one another and perform amputations on injured appendages, saving the lives of other ants. This makes this species of ant the only other known species, aside from humans, who do this. Surgical ants. How fascinating is that?!?!

We live in such a magnificent creation, full of fascinating and wonderful creatures, beyond our capacity to imagine! Every day, there are new things to learn and discover about this incredible world we get to share together. Ants have lived on this earth for millions of years, and just recently we discovered their surgical practices. There is so much we still don’t know!

At the writing of this, we are one week out from our shared “Celebration of a Call to Ministry” on August 4! We have figured out some excellent ways to work together and share ministry together between our two churches, but there is still more yet for us to learn and discover—about ministry and one another! Our journey of discovery and adventure continues!

We probably will not discover that anyone in either church is particularly skilled at performing field amputations (like our ant friends), but who knows what other cool and fascinating discoveries we might make together?

God knows. The Holy Spirit has been putting in extra hours nudging us in this holy endeavor of shared ministry. God knows the fascinating truths we have yet to discover about one another, ministry, the world, and life itself. And, I’d imagine God smiles and is delighted each time we are filled with wonder and fascination when we discover something beautiful God has created or the Holy Spirit has been up to.

May we always yearn to learn more, not because we believe it’s possible to know it all, but because we know there will always be more to learn. May we never lose our sense of wonder and fascination, no matter how often we discover something new. May we celebrate the magnificence of God’s good creation, and marvel at the possibilities of not just witnessing, but also participating in, God’s movement therein.

Indeed, in wisdom, God has created, and continues to create, it all! Let’s continue to discover the beauty, creativity, and brilliance of God’s good creation around and within us all!

Peace,
Pastor Laura