February 9, 2022
Dear Friends,
I look forward to seeing you—at least some of you—in all three of your glorious dimensions this Sunday in worship. Our opening plans are listed below in this FYI and will be posted on our website. Being our first day back, we will proceed with caution, but hope to loosen our preventative measures as the numbers continue to decline. We hope to be back to our previous COVID practices soon. And pray that we might return to pre-COVID practices soon thereafter. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.
For those who prefer not to worship in person at this time, we will continue to stream our services for watching live and archive them for watching after the event. We pray all of our offerings will do what Paul proclaimed is the purpose of our “gatherings”: to build up the body of Christ by fortifying the faithful and adding to their numbers (see 1 Corinthians 14).
Paul argues that we are built up that we might build others up, and draw people closer to God and the community of the faithful. An opportunity to do just may present itself to us soon. I have been in touch with friends and family of Bonita Blake. They would like to join us when we gather to celebrate Bonita’s life and give God thanks for her part in the life of our church for nearly four decades. Before that happens however, family members must come to make funeral arrangements. At this time, they have not made plans for their travel. When they arrive they may need both room and board. If you have the desire or opportunity to offer either food or a place to stay for Bonita’s brother and his daughter, please contact Cinda in our church office. More importantly, Bonita’s family and friends have requested our prayers for them as they negotiate this most unexpected and unwanted event in their lives. I must also say, that many have recalled how warmly Bonita spoke of our church over the years. Thank you for loving our sister Bonita in such as substantial way.
Our journey with Jesus and his ministry in Galilee through Epiphany will end on Sunday, February 27, which commemorates the Transfiguration of our Lord. From that Sunday the journey turns toward Jerusalem, and that Lenten journey is inaugurated by Ash Wednesday. Our Ash Wednesday service will be held in person on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 pm. Our Lent and Holy Week schedule will be published soon. In the meantime, I encourage all of you who have not yet done so, to consider a psalm you would like to share with our church family as part of this year’s Lenten Devotional. Again, please contact Cinda Madona with your psalm choice.
The word “lent,” by the way, has the same root as the word lengthen. Here in Seattle one notices with heightened appreciation when, as days lengthen, there is more light in both the morning and the evening. Centuries ago, “spring cleaning” began when the days were long enough that one had enough light to clean the home after dinner. I pray for our church’s spiritual spring cleaning, this Lent. May we clean "the house of our souls" well. And may the increasing light of Spring be a sign of hope for days that are less restrictive and less threatening. Let us cling to that hope as we open this Sunday. And might our on-going journey of faith draw us closer to one another and to our God.
Pastor Todd