By Pastor Devlyn Brooks
Does anyone else feel the buzz! Or is it just me?
I’m talking about the buzz as of late when we gather together as a faith community?
Whether that was for Ash Wednesday, or one of the Lenten education series Wednesdays we’ve been participating in with the Comstock-Hoff Parish.
Or even at service in our own beautiful church! … Did you hear that pre-worship fellowship buzz reverberating through the church on March 16? It was powerful! My soul was singing! I felt bad for even interrupting to begin our worship service.
The Men’s Group’s bingo day was a hoot, and drew in community members for fellowship with us. The weekly exercise nights have been reborn. Our youth continue to host Friday movie nights that draw in others from the community.
We’ve had several recent visitors who have attended church more than once.
There’s lively discussion about partnerships with The Red Silo this coming summer.
Faith Family, just when you might think we’d hit a post-Christmas slide in enthusiasm and participation, it seems that the Holy Spirit has had other plans for us!
And I can’t help but think how ironic that is!
I think about the dozens and dozens of hours that our Faith Forward committee, the LYO and other Faith Lutheran groups put into planning events last year to increase our vitality and presence in the community. And how sometimes it has been easy to wonder what the return on all that investment was.
But as of late, the vibrancy seems to just be happening naturally. As if we no longer are having to pull the sled uphill, but maybe rather we’re now riding it down the back side!
I’ve been thrilled by our large participation in the learning series with our faith neighbors to the north. The folks at Comstock and Hoff churches have been gracious hosts, and I love seeing so many of you taking part in this bold experiment of worshipping together!
As for the new faces we’re enjoying at church, who knows, maybe the work we did last year to seed the ground is now paying off. I don’t have that answer. But I know that the Holy Spirit does!
I don’t pretend to be an experiment in church vibrancy and vitality, but what I do know is that things have been feeling really joyful around Faith Lutheran as of late, and it’s a tremendous feeling as we continue our march to Holy Week.
Faith Family … Let’s see if we can’t pitch in and further the Holy Spirit’s efforts a bit!
If you haven’t had a chance to visit one of the Lenten Wednesday learning series events yet, it’s not too late! Come join us and worship with our faith neighbors!
Maybe invite a friend or loved one to service on an upcoming Sunday. We’re seeing new faces, so why not try to double down on our invitations!
Let’s start talking to people about our lovely Easter service! Maybe we could interest a neighbor or two in coming to feel the joy of Easter morning with us! And don’t forget the delicious LYO meal after!
Faith Family, I feel no shame in admitting that just when I was most perplexed about how we continue to engineer that vibrancy we all love here at Faith Lutheran, and why it seemed difficult for others to see it, it seems to be materializing before my very eyes!
It’s a good reminder to me that sometimes while we do the work, we also just need to trust in God’s timing. Amen!
See you in church, Faith Family!
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