Dear Beloved,

Rain tomorrow, rain Sunday. ‘Snow joke!

What’s a New Englander to do when winter comes in October? To paraphrase Barbara Brown Taylor, most of us are rushing about trying to find two sticks to rub together. Or in my case, remember where I put the mittens, hats and winter coats of our entire family.

But God has kindled a fire within us, that will keep us warm no matter what is happening outside of our skin.

Do you want in, where it’s warm?

Come Sunday. In the morning: It’s Jubilee Sunday, and the children ages 3 and up will grace our sanctuary. I’m preaching, the fourth in our series on the Bible:  on reading the Bible as a daily, personal and revolutionary act. Tim, fresh home from Munich, brings insight as our liturgist. Laura Ruth will pray our hearts open. The children will sing! and have been practicing at home all week in anticipation.

In the evening: re/New, at 7p, our new monthly evening worship to evoke the senses, answers our longing for intimacy with God and one another, our eager desire do church in ancient/modern ways. This month’s theme:  Spiritual Practices. The music is absolutely fabulous, the bread fresh, the honey sweet. Do come.

In between morning and evening: Choir retreats! filling the church with the sounds of Advent come early. And Nominating Committee gathers to discern leaders for the work of Jesus within our church. Nominating Committee members will be moving through coffee hour after worship to offer you a brief questionnaire, the Spiritual Gifts Inventory. If you haven’t yet done one (you may have done it last year), it would help us identify where your deep gladness meets the church’s deep need, so we don’t ask you to arrange flowers if what you really like to do is shovel snow, or write liturgy, or hold the warm, dry hands of our elderly folk, or cook for the poor.

Go slow today. There’s no rush. You carry a fire with you wherever you go. Stop and let someone else warm their hands at it, if you will.

Christlove
Molly