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It’s been a month and a half since I returned from sabbatical, and while December was filled with all the things Advent and Christmas are full of, I continue to reflect on my time away. Over and over again, I remember the stories of how human beings are born to be in community.
This past year, we awarded the following community groups grant money which they applied for on our First Lutheran Church website…
Sometime during the past year, I had a conversation with someone who didn’t go up for communion. I asked if she would like us to bring communion to her; she declined, telling me why. I was delighted that she told me, and I told her it was perfectly fine and was so glad she was here with her husband. This couple later joined our church.
On First Fest Sunday, back in September, First Lutheran tried something new (to us). The idea was to invite every kid and every adult into a Faith Web. On poster paper, we drew five lines. On the top went the name of a child who, in 2024, plans to experience a faith formation event by attending a Christian camp, our middle school mission trip to Rapid City, SD, or the ELCA Youth Gathering to New Orleans. On the next line down goes the name of the child’s family. That family is “supporting household #1” for that child. There is space under that first supporting household for three more. Each supporting household commits to connecting with that child in whatever way(s) they choose. It could be as simple as getting to know each other’s name, keeping the child in prayer and perhaps receiving a note of thanks at some point after the faith formation experience. The ‘thanks’ is for the other big commitment made by each supporting household: $300 toward their faith formation experience…
Embracing the Wilderness. This is the “theme” of my sabbatical this year. I am so thankful for this time away to spend intentional time in the “wilderness” (literal and figurative) to more deeply connect to my self and my passions so that I can navigate the next five years with integrity, joy and strength.
