Thank you, Church, for being the Body of Christ

I am grateful for you all. I arrived at Advent in strange times - January 2021 - right in the middle of the pandemic. I felt welcomed by our congregation amidst the challenges of meeting and worshipping online with very little in-person contact. I felt welcomed as we returned to in-person worship this past November, and again I was welcomed when returning from my stress leave this past February. This Sunday you are holding an official welcome picnic for my family and I, and I remain grateful for your ongoing warm welcome. I admit that it is a little strange to be welcomed into your midst again and again and again; but these have been strange times.

As we gather for worship on Sundays, we come before our God in need of forgiveness and mercy. We sit at the feet of our Rabbi to learn and grow in faith. We are fed at the Lord’s Table to be strengthened for our journey. Week after week, our Lord Jesus welcomes us in, and each new welcome is life giving for us. Maybe offering an ongoing welcome isn’t so strange, because that’s what Jesus does for us, again and again and again. Thank you, Church, for being the Body of Christ with your ongoing welcome for me and my family. May we continue to bear Christ’s welcoming and inviting presence in our community.

In Christ,
Pastor Aaron