Off to New York and Canada
I'm off to New York and Canada at the end of this week. Richard and I are celebrating Thanksgiving with my family and friends and sneaking off to Montreal for a day. I'm not going to make a big deal about the weather there. Though there is snow, ice, and it's 27 degrees Fahrenheit as I write this, but I said I wouldn't make a big deal of it. So, I won't!
Like the world around us congregations, too, have seasons. The sunshine of summer, the rain of spring, the crispness of fall, and the cold of winter. Even if we experience seasons in a different way in Florida we can imagine the cycle. There are bright times and grey times in the cycle and in congregations. As we will learn during our Yule service in December, in the grey times there is always hope and anticipation of returning light. I no doubt have caused confusion and some might view my willingness to continue to serve you as a bright time. Others may feel otherwise. We do find common ground in our current "season" within our Congregation. Each of us cares for the Congregation and act not to be a fly in the ointment or to create an "us" versus "them." Our love for our tradition and community is no less no matter where we stand. If we are to serve one another and the world we will need to explore all options and live in a bit of awkwardness. Even those options we are uncomfortable with. Let us be grateful that we need not stand on one side of the line or the other. Let us be grateful we stand on common ground of love for our beloved church.
Let us put aside this work for one or two days to be fully present to those we love and care for. No matter your tradition this time of year I wish you peace, hope, and thanksgiving.
Blessings, Rev. CJ
Like the world around us congregations, too, have seasons. The sunshine of summer, the rain of spring, the crispness of fall, and the cold of winter. Even if we experience seasons in a different way in Florida we can imagine the cycle. There are bright times and grey times in the cycle and in congregations. As we will learn during our Yule service in December, in the grey times there is always hope and anticipation of returning light. I no doubt have caused confusion and some might view my willingness to continue to serve you as a bright time. Others may feel otherwise. We do find common ground in our current "season" within our Congregation. Each of us cares for the Congregation and act not to be a fly in the ointment or to create an "us" versus "them." Our love for our tradition and community is no less no matter where we stand. If we are to serve one another and the world we will need to explore all options and live in a bit of awkwardness. Even those options we are uncomfortable with. Let us be grateful that we need not stand on one side of the line or the other. Let us be grateful we stand on common ground of love for our beloved church.
Let us put aside this work for one or two days to be fully present to those we love and care for. No matter your tradition this time of year I wish you peace, hope, and thanksgiving.
Blessings, Rev. CJ
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