Letter From the Pastor – September 2024
Dear Church,
During a recent sermon, we talked about how we can best approach some of the big challenges in our lives, and I shared a quote from the book the Elders are currently reading, God, Improv, and the Art of Living. The quote goes like this, “You don’t have to bring a cathedral; just bring a brick.” The point of this quote being that we don’t have to have the whole solution or a completed project right away. Oftentimes, all we need to do (all we can do) is bring a brick. Do whatever small task or offer whatever initial thought you have so that it can be built upon to make something bigger. The example from our scripture reading was the young boy who offered Jesus his small lunch of loaves and fish, which Jesus used to feed 5,000 people.
What are some of the big challenges you have faced in your life? Is there a big change you want to make? Is there something new you want to create? Does any of that feel too big to handle?
The following Sunday, I asked that people bring something to church that represented the brick they had to offer. These items were just a small token that represented what it is people had to offer at that moment, or what that small first step they wanted to take.
So, during the month of September, I am inviting us to continue to meditate on this theme. To ask ourselves, what are some of the big challenges you have faced in your life? Is there a big change you want to make? Is there something new you want to create? Does any of that feel too big to handle? Congregants will still have an opportunity to bring items to worship that represent the brick people will use to start to answer those questions.
In addition, the worship theme during the month of September will focus on stories of characters in the Gospels who encounter Jesus in his travels and offer him small token, or act of service, through which, Jesus is able to reveal even more of the Good News. These are characters who live out something the book God, Improv, and the Art of Living would call “Yes, And…” living. “Yes, And…” is a principle of improvisational theater. To say “Yes” means to accept the situation or idea the performer is presented with, then to say “and” means adding something to that situation or idea that helps build it into something new. The characters in the stories will hear in worship offer a “Yes” to Jesus, who then provides the “And” that points the way toward new life.
I look forward to exploring these ideas with you.
Peace on the journey,
Pastor Zach