As we enter a new year it is good to look back and think about the lessons we have had in the year we just walked through.  After answering the call to be your pastor, we quicky entered the season of Lent. At that time, I introduced you to some of the Lenten traditions I was raised with, and I had a chance to learn your long-held traditions. This is part of understanding each other and helps in discerning where God is leading us.

 

One of the more memorable events of 2024 will have to be the total eclipse of the sun on April 8th. It was great that the church had T-Shirts made to mark this event and it was great to be a part of this community when we celebrated the event.  

 

After Lent we entered the liturgical season of “Ordinary Time”. It was in this time that I wanted to explore a different style of worship for all of us.  Worship Design Studios had a bundle of three scripted worship themes that would be new for the congregation as well as for me.  We started with a traveling theme, exploring the blessing of travel as a spiritual act. The main point of that worship series, “Quest” was not so much where or how you “travel, " but the act of traveling expands our horizons and challenges our preconceived notions about others; these things are essential to our journey of faith. Rick Steves took us on some of his quests and helped us understand the way travel, even local, can and does have influence on our faith. 

 

With that Quest completed we moved on to “Beguiled by Faith” by Wendy Farley, PhD, which laid out a theology of beauty that can lead us to greater compassion through the spiritual practice of contemplation. The contemplative

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nature of our worship tends to get pushed to the side when we get busy and do not take time to listen and feel the presence of God. Dr. Farley’s work does just that. She helps us understand that faith in “Divine Goodness” is held together with suffering to make moments of crisis manageable. She shows us how a more intentional spiritual practice can deepen the well from which we draw to survive, and thrive, during the trying times of our lives.

 

Finally, we know deep down that life is impossible without change–that change is inevitable. But oh my, the evolutionary resistance to change can be debilitating. We have inherited a natural tendency to feel apprehension about change from our ancestors who had to be suspicious of differences to survive. “Re-Shaped, What We’re Made For”, was the final series that we worked through. We avoid change, but we know that change is coming. We go through change again, again, and again and it can be uncomfortable, but it helps us grow and expand our understanding of God.

 

I pray these worship experiences have helped you with the transition this church is currently in and other transitions in your lives. As we reflect on 2024, and look forward to 2025, I pray we can continue to address our Spiritual, Contemplative lives. The Change will happen, and we now have the tools to move forward. 

 

Happy New Year

2025

 

Peace and Love

 

Allen R. Kahler, Pastor