Mid-Week Message

Nov. 30, 2021

“This is the season when people of all faiths and cultures are pushing back against the planetary darkness. We string bulbs, ignite bonfires, and light candles. And we sing.”
                                                         -Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent

Friends,

Can you believe that finally, after twenty long months, the church sanctuary will be open again for worship? This Sunday there will be one service beginning at 10 a.m. Not only will the sanctuary be open, but we will also be welcoming people both in person and online. I have to admit that I’m more than a little bit nervous. Not only will I be meeting most of you for the very first time, but it will also be my first time leading worship in your sanctuary. It will be the first time any of us have done worship this way, using technology to make those joining on Zoom feel like active participants in the service rather than passive observers and to make everyone feel like they are connected to each other—part of one congregation.

As we approach this momentous occasion, I have three things to ask of you:

Expect imperfection. You can expect that things will go wrong. Remember, we’ve never done this before! Come with a sense of adventure knowing that you are part of creating something new.

Ask how you can help. I can’t tell you the number of hours it has taken your staff and key volunteers to get to this day. It will take a team of staff and volunteers working together to make it sustainable into the future. Think about how you can be part of this exciting new adventure—serving on the worship committee or as a greeter (online or in-person) or audio/visual operator. Before you say you don’t have the technical skills to run the AV system, let me tell you that training is provided and there will be lots of support along the way. What a great way to learn a new skill while supporting your church and making new friends in the process!

Spread the word. Reach out to the people you know to tell them that in-person church is happening! And they can still come by Zoom if they prefer. Let them know that there is one service, and it begins at 10 a.m. Believe it or not, not everyone reads the weekly email. So, if you are reading this, take it on yourself to tell others.

The winter holiday season has arrived, a season that calls us to push back against despair, light up the long, dark nights, and sing songs of hope. The season of Advent calls us to a spirit of waiting and wondering. The festival of Hanukkah calls us to a spirit of dedication and courage. This year the holidays come amid what has been an overlong season of disruption. As such, we know a thing or two about pushing back despair, about dedication and courage. We know a thing or two about waiting and wondering what will come next in this uncertain time.

The candles we light in this season, for Advent or Hanukkah, these are time-honored rituals that connect us to history, heritage, and tradition—the people gone before who gathered in community to make meaning of life with all its beauty and joy, pain and fear, hopes and dreams. Holiday observances connect us to each other.

My hope for each of you and all of us is that this holiday season be deeply meaningful, a time for reconnecting with age-old traditions while creating new possibilities—starting this Sunday.

Yours in shared ministry,