There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. – Galatians 3:28-29

We are called not to be a refuge from the world but a gift to the world

I don’t know why I like this photograph (above) so much. Typically I will maneuver myself into some position where all the utility poles and the wires are not so visible. But this time, walking around the corner from behind the courthouse – on my way back from the river – the scene just struck me.

Maybe its because of the wires and the poles, placing our lovely church into context in a real historic downtown. The wall to the Old Town Cemetery, the period houses along St. Patrick Street, the ancient trees and the thousands of leaves.

And there stands the church tower, its new carillon ringing out truth, inviting people to hear the story of God’s great love and care.

We are right here in the center of the community for a reason: because we are called not to be a refuge from the world but a gift to the world, not built as a fortress so much as a lighthouse, not a vault containing unquestionable answers but a kind of community college where we discover them together.

An Open Invitation:

This Sunday, June 2, we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. Our table is wide open because our understanding of God’s love is that of an open invitation.

Afterwards, when we spilled out and down the front steps onto the lawn for lemonade and cookies it was communion too.

I wish you were there. Communion – the Lord’s Supper – is for all God’s people. And that includes you, even if you don’t necessarily feel that you are.

Of course, that is the beauty of an invitation. I just want you to know that you have it; we just want you to understand that you are always free to come home.

In love, and because of love – DEREK