The Hydrangea

Greetings friends,

I continue to lift you all up in prayer as we navigate this new reality together. You are each in my heart as I write this letter.
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​I find lessons of faith in creation. Today I was thinking of the hydrangea. The hydrangea teaches us that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Each individual petal is simple. Each is beautiful but not very impressive. Each one a slightly different size, shape, and coloration. However, all together they create a spectacular blossom! The hydrangea is a picture of the power of human community. We need each other and we are stronger together, even when we are sheltering-at-home and physical distancing. As we connect with one another in different ways, we encourage one another, lift each other up, and give strength to others. I am grateful for our church family that binds us together and reminds us we are not alone. The hydrangea teaches us that a cluster of souls banded together is a beautiful thing. God is holding us all together, even as we are distanced in these days. Hang in there!

Last week Zoom crashed internationally and impacted our worship service. Sorry if you tried to connect and couldn’t see or hear. It wasn’t you! Zoom was fixed by mid-morning Sunday and is working fine now. I recorded my sermon and you can find it by clicking here.  If it speaks to you, share it with someone.

Join us this Sunday for worship at 9 am. Email us to get the Zoom link information. I will finish my series on Emerging Stronger. Next week, May 31, is Pentecost! Let’s flood our screens with red. Get creative, wear red clothes, put red in your background, or create a red virtual background. All the red will remind us that the Holy Spirit is everywhere!
As we continue to read scripture together here are our daily texts for this week:

Psalm 40:1-3
Lamentations 3:19-23
Ezekiel 11:16-25
Matthew 9:16-17
Colossians 3:9-17
Hebrews 10:19-25
I Peter 1:3-7

All these scriptures talk about “new” things. We are phasing into a new normal. And life won’t be exactly the same as it was before. What do you celebrate about the new? What do you grieve of the old? We find hope in God, who walks with us into the new, and creates new life from old.
Our Parish Council meets on May 26th, and will begin outlining a process to phase in in-person worship. You will be hearing more about our timeline and process soon.
I close with this benediction I shared in worship Sunday. It was written by James Dillet Freeman and carried to the moon by “Buzz” Aldrin on Apollo 11. It is called the prayer of protection.
May the light of God surround us.
May the love of God enfold us.
May the power of God protect us.
May the presence of God watch over us.
Now and forevermore. Amen.
 
Peace and light,
Pastor Patti