In a full and wonderful Sabbath Day, I had opportunity to meet with parents for a training on baptism for their infants; connect with a group of folks considering membership, and moved into the final class time with our confirmation students – all after a weekend full of Communion Services! Wow, nothing like hitting all the sacraments and a plethora of the means of grace in one short weekend. It’s really so humbling to see people at every age and stage finding their way of connecting faith with the realities of life. Infants, (by the way, all boys and one little girl – she may have her hands full at confirmation age!) not yet aware of God’s grace for themselves, but yet surrounded by God’s prevenient grace. A LARGE confirmation class full of vim and vigor and spirit and possibilities who are 2 years old and 40 years old wrapped up in the same changing bodies and minds who come to make a statement of faith and experience God’s justifying grace. And then folks who walk through our doors, invited by friends and neighbors who are seeking to live their lives of faith in difficult circumstances and hanging on to the strength of God’s abiding presence surrounded and filled by God’s sanctifying grace. It is the best of all possible worlds to be a United Methodist pastor in this place and time. The blessings of God’s people of Grace are beyond any human measure. And in the moment of the Eucharist – a meeting of the spiritual and the concrete in ways that call our lives out of self-centered fear and into the possibilities of other-centered ministries and God-centered faith!
A perscription from a pastor for the coming days: Wash Your Hands a LOT! Get enough sleep! Eat healthy foods! AND DO NOT BE AFRAID! Move out into the world to touch God’s people with the promise and hope of a resurrected Christ! These are great days to be in ministry, and urgent times to be messengers of God’s good news! grace and peace for the journey . . .
