My dear Grace UCC family,
This morning as I was sitting at my desk, working on a bulletin, it was grey and dreary, actually it has been grey and rainy and dreary for a couple of day. I felt tired and blah and unsure…
But all I had to do was look around, and I knew that God’s work was going on at Grace UCC. Food, dried goods, cans, etc has been coming into the grocery cart to celebrate “Souper” bowl Sunday. Lots of hands helping and kind words being shared, as we gather for potlucks, as we play games, as we took down Christmas decorations. Children laughing and learning at faith formation in all we do with caring adults, folks gathering to listen and talk and be together.
God is definitely at work!
I began to work on a bulletin to write the call to worship, to open myself up to the Spirit at work, I studied the text trying to figure out what it was saying to me and what I needed to say from God to all of you on Sunday, I talked with some folks that came in, and answered some questions from some others, responded to phone calls, listened, talked with those who stopped by and who called in to chat, smiled and knew…. that we are so blessed.
God is definitely at work at Grace UCC!
And again, as I sat down to figure out what to write to you, my church family, what could I say that would make a difference, what word did I have to bring to you, the Sun began shining, and it was bright and cheerful and joy filled. God’s blessings are upon us, we are blessed. I also began to think of last Sunday’s sermon about being called, each of us, and Grace UCC. What is God calling Grace UCC to do and be in this place that we are, in this time that we are living?
God is at work with us and in us and through us!
“Sing praises to the Lord, for God has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy…” Isaiah 12:5-6a
God works through us and in us even when we are not sure what it is we are to be saying and doing. God gives us signs each day, and sometimes each minute, we just have to look.
These signs come in many ways…
In the laughter of a child…
In the phone call from a colleague or friend…
In the concern of another for you….
In saying yes to something when you really wanted to say no….
In the sun shining and breaking forth on a grey day…
In the music played loud or soft…
In the quiet of a prayer…
In the conversation with a friend….
In the kindness shared…
In noticing, something is different about you, new glasses, new haircut, new clothes, etc…
In the hug of a young friend or an old one….
In a card received… in a note written…
The signs of God’s blessings are all around us.
We just need to look.
God is definitely at work at Grace United Church of Christ!
Blessed,
Pastor Mindy