February 3, 2022

As I woke up to ice and freezing rain this morning and checked to see if the faucets were still dripping, ground some coffee beans and sat down to wait for it to brew, I took a few quiet moments to notice what I was feeling and thinking. I felt the tension in my shoulders and jaw and the chill in my body that seemed a bit deeper than the last few cold days. I noted the anxiety I was carrying in my body as well as my thoughts.
 
I’m not really surprised by this. I mean, whenever I do take a moment and step back to notice and remember what we’ve been through in these last years, we’re all carrying the weight of isolation, illness, anger and tension among neighbors, grief, and the long freeze of a year ago. Whether we’re consciously thinking about it or not, our bodies and our souls carry the impact of these things. That’s normal, it’s part of our human experience, and we each carry it differently.
 
But we do not carry it alone.
 
The gift and call of Christian community is to bear one another’s burdens. We accompany one another through this, empowered by the love of Christ that bears all things. In the waters of baptism we have received the Holy Spirit and we know that God moves in and through us, inspiring and empowering us each moment to move forward trusting the abundant love of God and the fullness of life everlasting revealed and given through Christ.
 
Last Sunday, I invited us to listen close enough to Christ this year that we are discomforted by the powerful truth of the gospel that reveals to us that we cannot do it on our own and that we are called to live a different way – the way of Jesus, the way of God’s kingdom, the way of love.
 
Do you know the wonderful thing about listening that closely? Not only will we be offended by the outrageous love of God given to all – even our enemies, but we will be transformed, comforted, and filled with great joy as we hear the good news that the same outrageous love and abundant life are ours through the faithfulness of Christ as a free gift of God’s grace.
 
As we have another freeze and we and our neighbors seek warmth and shelter, experience bursting pipes, power outages, or even just the memory of those things, know that God is with you and so are my prayers and the prayers of one another. If you or a neighbor has an urgent need, please reach out so that we can help as we are able either directly or helping connect with someone who can offer immediate assistance.
 
You are not in this alone. Christ’s invitation is unending when he says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”
Rest in the grace and peace and love and life of God with you.

Blessings,
Pastor Drew