Hello, my friends!
How are you? As I look out on the orange-tinted fog, I am reminded of the deep fear and anxiety so many are experiencing at this time. I am continually praying for God’s mercy and protection for those affected by the fires. And I’m praying for the safety of my beloved Forest Home…such a dear and sacred place for so many of us.
So often the worries of this life cloud out the sun. Our world shrinks to the limits of what we can see, and our worries can be quickly mistaken for reality. But that orange tint reminds us that the source of our life is continuing to shine. And faith is walking in the light of the reality of God’s steadfast love, even on the darkest, smoke-filled, of days.
There is a line spoken by Pastor John Ames, (one of my favorite characters of all time in one of my favorite books of all time, Gilead), where he says, “Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don’t have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see.”
That willingness is key, and without it, the beauty and wonder in life are easily missed. Biblically, the heart and the will are one and the same. It is our source of life. It is where our deepest desires and longings dwell. But like any muscle, without use, it atrophies. Faith is a choice to set our minds on things above and refusing to let them be sucked into the vortex of our fears. Noticing the beams of light that pierce the darkness and following them back to its source is how we find the strength to persevere.
God tells his prophet, Jeremiah, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Which means we must choose to seek. To pursue. To see past the veil of insecurity, complacency, and cynicism. To look through the questions and the doubts with hope and faith. And when we do, we find the breadcrumbs. God’s loving and sacred leadings, directing us further
I’m so excited to tell you that we’re planning to reopen the church on Sunday, September 20th. We will be having our regular service times of 9 and 10:45 and will be open up to 25% capacity. In addition, we’ll be providing Sunday school for our children and students and an outdoor seating area in the courtyard. More details on that to follow. We’re still working out some of the kinks, but honestly, we can’t wait. It will be so good to be back together. Just know that we’ll be continuing to video our services and provide them live streaming as well.
And we’ll also be continuing to do our evening Sunset Soak, now at 5 PM, starting this Sunday (the 13th) and continuing through the remainder of September at least. These beautiful gatherings are where we’ll continue to serve weekly communion and also provide an opportunity to shine our light of hope and love to our community.
And lastly, we have the opportunity to hear from the wonderful Rickie Farnes this Sunday. It is not to be missed and I know you will feel so edified and inspired as she brings us God’s word.
So take heart! I sure love you guys!
Jeff