Serve all people, following the example of Jesus

A week before Christmas, we ventured out to Colorado for the wedding of our eldest son. It proved to be a crisp, but sunny day; and even though the couple elected to make several adjustments to their original plan due to COVID-19, the entirety of the weekend came off almost exactly as they envisioned. It was really a joy for me to witness their witnessing of the results!

Oftentimes, that’s not quite the way things go with weddings. Typically, something goes askew despite the best of planning. We’ll hear one such story in the Gospel lesson for this week from John when Jesus attends the wedding of friends and does them one monstrous favor by avoiding a draining of the wine supply for guests. I envisioned him within that scene, witnessing the joy of that young couple from beyond the spotlight and simply being able to savor their celebration. I couldn’t help but give thanks for all of the folks I know who similarly serve quietly behind the scenes to facilitate life. I hope that they have the opportunity to witness some of what they make possible.

As we dive deeper (pun intended) into our “S.P.L.A.S.H.” sermon series, we focus on the first of the commitments we make at baptism: to “Serve all people, following the example of Jesus.” We’ll use the Gospel lesson as a starting point; join us, whether in-person or on-line!

Meanwhile, our staff and Visioning Council are working hard to pull together all of the details for our upcoming Annual Congregational Meeting next month (2/6). After finishing our current Adult Forum study this week, Adult Forum will offer a couple of informational sessions in advance of the Annual Meeting to share insights, ask questions, and hear perspectives. We hope that you’ll be able to take part - 9:30 a.m. in Room 1. We will change rooms if enough people attend.

Let’s discover what WE are blessed to witness together, as we seek to live out our baptisms this week!

Pastor Tim