The month of June brings with it many transitions. There is the simple transition of moving from two worship services to one at 9:30 am on June 10. We can build on that with the move from a school schedule to a summer schedule, the completion of John Winget and Katharine Frase’s time as church school worship leaders, the graduation of our seniors from high school and college, the completion of another year of wonderful music by our choir and the faithful ministry of our church school staff. We celebrate Connie Stringer’s 25 years as our preschool director and the beginning of Lisa Eliasson’s leadership as our next preschool director. We give thanks for new dads, dads with us in our transitions and dads we now miss in our lives. And, we live through all of this transition as we move from one season to the next. Creation tells us that transitions are a natural part of life.
Life is full of transition much the way creation is, but our study of Listening for the Heartbeat of God this Spring reminds me/us to look deeply into these transitions until I/we see God. God is present every time a child feels welcomed into our church, every time they sing and learn and grow in their faith. God is present through the work of every adult who teaches faith, lives faith and gives their faith away to every succeeding generation. God is present when people venture off into new possibilities as well as dedicate themselves to strong and faithful service over the years. God is present in the changing seasons of life that allow us to look back with thanksgiving, look now at how we are growing and changing and look forward with anticipation for how we can continue to know God’s presence in our lives through all the transitions of life.
Thank you for your faithful dedication to our ministry as it goes through all its transitions, as we live into God’s future together, as we share the good news of Jesus Christ with an ever-changing world, and as we follow the Spirit’s lead to join God in the work God is doing in us and around us all the time.
Chip