The last few weeks have included Annual Conference, a trip to Virginia to see family, a week at church camp, several thousand miles of travel, and approximately 47 gallons of coffee. It was all good, meaningful, and occasionally exhausting. I'm glad I had the opportunity to go—but I'm also glad to be back home.
Before I say anything else – I say thank you.
While I was away, you all did exactly what I hoped you would do: you kept being the Church. Worship happened. People were cared for. Music was made. The office kept humming along. There were not fires or floods in the building (always a plus.) And countless people quietly did the things that needed doing without anyone making a big fuss about it.
That's what a healthy church looks like.
One of my goals as your pastor has never been to make the church depend on me. Quite the opposite. My job is to help equip the saints for the work of ministry—and you all lived that out beautifully these past few weeks. Thank you for making it possible for me to step away for extended ministry and personal rest, knowing the church was in good hands.
This Sunday we'll be talking about what it means to be an "Aspirational Shepherd." If you've been around for a while, you've probably noticed I like the word aspirational. That's because I believe that we as Christians are working our whole faith journey to “arrive." God is still working on us. We are still growing. We are still learning how to love God and our neighbors a little better than we did yesterday. We are actively co-creating Heaven on Earth with God in the way of Christ. That's true for pastors. It's true for church members. It's true for all disciples.
I will also be inviting you to participate in  Journey Talks. Over the coming months, I'd like to meet with every member of the congregation for about forty-five minutes. Don't worry—it's not a test, there are no wrong answers, and there won't be homework. I mostly want to listen. I want to hear your story, what God has been doing in your life, your hopes for our church, reflect on our baptismal vows and spend time in prayer.
I'm looking forward to these conversations almost as much as I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for more than three nights in a row.
Grace and peace,
Pastor M@