Message from Pastor Karyn for Feb., 2023
I love Disney. Almost as much as I love Jesus.
The second week of January, I took a week off and visited the warm land of Florida so that I could soak in the Disney spirit with two of my closest friends.
Here is what I learned (or relearned, or had reinforced). Welcome is a practice that requires constant attention and learning. It is what Disney does best, really. When you visit one of their parks or resorts, you are not simple a visitor or consumer, you are a guest. As such, they have prepared for you in every way they can think of. Your comfort and enjoyment is their top priority. This is not the case for any other amusement park, which I saw in stark relief when I visited the other Orlando parks.
As I reflect on my time, I can’t help but make connections to the work we have been doing here at First as we work toward becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We have been leaning heavily into our core value of Welcome All, stretching ourselves to love more deeply, to welcome more widely. We have been challenging ourselves to learn new behaviors, new ways of connecting, new ways of speaking. All of these actions have made a difference in the lives of those who visit us and those who call themselves members.
On May 21, we will vote on the welcome statement you have heard in worship, seen printed in our announcements and discussed in small groups. Until then, continue to look for opportunities to practice wider welcome and deeper love and to learn more about how Jesus is calling us to grow deeper in our faith.