“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Greetings, St. John UCC and St. Philip’s UCC!

As I’m writing this, we are just a couple of weeks away from entering the season of Lent. Wow, that went by fast! Wasn’t Christmas, like, last week?!? How did that happen?

Things move pretty fast around here. It’s really an excellent problem to have! St. Philip’s and St. John are churches “on the move!” We are active, vibrant, fluid, growing kinds of churches! There’s always something new happening. Someone always has a new idea or dream to explore. We are constantly experimenting with new ways to do ministry. And how awesome is that!?

So many churches these days find themselves getting stuck in a rut, yearning to recapture their “glory days of old,” and doing things the way they’ve always been done (because that’s the way they’ve always been done!). Not so for our churches! While appreciating and learning from where you’ve been, you have an eye toward the future, an eye looking out beyond our stained glass windows, and a heart to serve your communities—and tons of creative ideas about how to do and live into all of that!

So things move pretty quickly around here. From Advent to Christmas to Epiphany to Lent… we hear anew the stories of Jesus and of our sacred texts, we struggle with the message of love and grace in a world divided by fear and defended by hatred, and we wonder what we are called to be and do, both individually and as the Church, at such a time as this. The discernment is a full-time job. The work is never-ending. The nudging of the Holy Spirit is unrelenting.

We cling to the hope of Christ’s light and love and do our best to bear it for others. We study, discuss, and imagine together what God might be calling us to do. We worship and praise our most holy God, whose love abounds beyond measure for all of God’s creation—all of God’s children. We fellowship and play and laugh together and we support one another through the mysteries and uncertainties of life. We are the Church together. And because of that, things move pretty quickly around here.

May this fast-approaching Lenten season be a time of paradoxical slowing down, where though life will surely move faster than ever, our spirits might find moments of quiet and calm, to listen deeply for God’s still-speaking voice, and to be re-energized for the journey ahead. Holy Week will be here before we know it… will you be ready? Pace yourself, friends, we are in this together for the long haul.

Running with Perseverance,
Pastor Laura