Back in February, our annual potluck led to our annual meeting where we had a robust discussion about a number of topics. One issue was whether our congregation should seek to purchase the ‘other’ house across Irvin Street. In 2011, we took advantage of an opportunity to purchase the house at 203 4th Ave South which has become a great location for small groups as well as providing space for the First Teen Clothes Closet that serves as our greatest outreach arm into the community. When 416 Irvin was listed for sale, many staff, leaders and neighbors wondered whether we were interested. As important as the result of our discussion was the process we followed in order to come to a decision.

While visits to the First Teen Clothes Closet were down in the first few weeks of the year, by the end of January, our requests were back to normal, with 4 guests in the last week of January and 20 guests during the month of February.

pring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love seeing people getting outside to walk, run and bike. I love being outside as the weather turns warm. I enjoy giving my attention to the growing plants—cleaning up around them, transplanting overgrown ones or trimming them back, knowing they will flourish better once the work is done. I know that as I put the work into my garden, it’s worth the effort and time, as I see the plants growing and blooming.

ince September, we have been considering, as a congregation, what it means that God welcomes us to “the table.” Our Lenten theme is centered upon this truth as well. We come to the table to be fed, for fellowship, to be known, to be included, to remember Sabbath, to celebrate… and there’s so much more. But these things, obviously don’t just happen at the church’s Altar Table. They also happen in our homes, at our dinner tables. God shows up in our feasts and our weeknights, over meatloaf and prime rib. These are the first two points we want to make about the table: that God shows up both at church and in your home.

“Good morning, Bob. How are you?”

“I’m busy.”

That was the exchange I overheard early one morning and it has shifted something in me profoundly. It isn’t like I haven’t contemplated “busy” quite a lot the last year and the impact on me, the people I serve and the larger world, but that moment brought those things that had been brewing together. Like a really good cup of tea. Since that fateful day I have had several people talk to me and say, “but I know you are busy, pastor.” Or “I just don’t have time because I am too busy.” and I have to wonder when we as a people became obsessed with “busy”. It has, I think, become a social acceptable and desirable way to either numb our emotions or to make sure we are worthy of life. If we are busy enough we don’t have to listen to the voice in our heart that wants to work out the pain or we can say we are worthy of love. Here is the problem with this: when we don’t take the time to listen to our heart or allow ourselves to be loved simply because we are, we also decrease the amount of joy and peace and other light emotions we may have the chance to experience. Not only that, but we can’t hear God. We can’t hear what God would have us do or be, we can’t hear the words of love and promise that God is always trying to get us to know. Instead, we keep moving, keep filling our days with other things (even though they are probably good things) and we slowly die inside.

“I had a pastor who distributed communion with such focus and the way he said. ‘This is the blood of Christ,’ I had no doubt it was the blood of Christ.” 

“I grew up Catholic and how I thought about communion was never something I felt could even be discussed.” 

These are just a few samples of stories I’ve heard told from people participating in small groups. Lenten small groups are in full swing, and there is great conversation happening; no small group telling the same story or hearing the same experience. That’s the joy of small group, hearing each other’s story, hearing about doubt, hearing about great faith and realizing other people have questions and struggles, too.

After a few years away from a Bible study I had gone to before, I was warmly welcomed back with hugs, smiles and many saying, “It’s so good to see you.” When you are greeted with warm cookies and coffee as you check into a hotel, it makes you feel special and appreciated. These are the things you remember and make you want to go back. I want every person coming into our church to have that same feeling of being warmly welcomed, special and appreciated. It would be so nice to see people greeting each other, helping young moms with children and helping those with walkers or wheelchairs. I desire a place where visitors can go to get information and a gift to welcome them to our church.

Winter weather did not slow the OWLs down one bit in February. Our potluck was very well attended by both OWLs and Lenten worshipers. The food was plentiful and fantastic. Thank you to all who contributed. We will once again host lunch for Lenten worshipers at the March potluck.

Several years ago, I bought a crabapple tree in late September. We planted it in the front yard, and I started watering until the ground froze, just like the nursery had told me. All winter long I wondered if the tree would survive the cold and bud out in the spring. I was so happy that it did; the leaves budded out, and we had little flowers of pink everyplace. It was just lovely. The tree has grown over the years and has been a home for robins in the summer and food for birds in the winter. We have enjoyed the tree very much since we planted it.

Sunday School is back in full swing! Kids are busy learning, singing, and doing exciting projects. 

Please keep up to date on when your child has special events by using the Sunday School calendar. Each group will have Faith Building Blocks throughout the year. Each group will sing during worship. 

The table is a great place to share stories. Whenever my family gathers for supper we take time to go around the table hearing each other’s highs and lows. Inevitably, a story is attached to each high and each low. When a few consecutive nights go by when we haven’t been able to hear each other’s stories, we begin to feel disconnected. We miss it. I wonder whether my five year old’s negotiations with a classmate at school resulted in her being chased less around the playground. What geography bee question did my 5th grader miss—and how did she feel when it happened? And of course, who made the best catch among the second grade boys today? Spare no detail!

On many occasions I have been asked where I got my interest in caring for the veterans. I wish I could say for certain what the reason was. I’m not sure, actually. I do have my suspicions and a true story to tell: My grandmother was a loving, faithful woman who brought up a family during the Depression. My grandfather was away a lot building highways way up north, which left my grandmother alone most of the time to care for 13 children. She often got help, as they were able from those who were older, but no matter how you looked at it, these were tough times. On Sundays she made sure that the family got to church and was proud of the fact that all 13 children were baptized. Church was were she got her strength. She carried this with her throughout her life and passed it on to her children. Community was different back then compared to now. Families lived close and there was always a gathering around the table. The table may have been a kitchen table or a dining room table but often it was in a fellowship hall around a church table. This is the place that potlucks were held, stories where told and things were made. The men often gathered and made plans to help the neighbor down the road who needed a helping hand. The women had their circles and friends who gathered to crochet or knit or make quilts.