Dear Christ Church,
Every May I am surprised at the pace of Austin. The city expends its collective energy, wrapping up the school year, hosting graduation events for people of all ages, concluding work projects as employers prepare for summer vacations. Everyone seems to move with frenetic energy to complete projects, tasks, and deadlines, before Memorial Day.
The summer arrives with a change of pace. The city takes a shared deep breath and slows down. School is out. Pools are open. And crowds gather under shade in parks or around the edges of Barton Springs moving with a steady ease.
The summer also brings a change of pace for our common life at church. Small groups take a break. Youth ministry changes from their weekly rhythms. Our programming intentionally slows down so that everyone at Christ Church — clergy, staff, laity — can take a deep breath. Following the rhythm of the season, there’s an intentional effort for our church to lie fallow (mostly), being restored from the spring, anticipating the exciting growth of the fall.
And still, there will be ways where we want to intentionally gather for community, for learning, for hospitality, especially as many new people continue to visit Christ Church during the summer. Our Christ Church summer offerings for June through August have been given careful thought and attention, respecting the season and pace of the summer.
If you’re newer to Christ Church, these summer offerings are great ways to begin entering the community. For long timers, these provide opportunities of going deeper with a different company of friends than you might otherwise connect with.
Lastly, this Sunday is Trinity Sunday. With many of our men at Men’s Retreat and as it’s Memorial Day weekend – we won’t have Kids Quest this Sunday. Guest preacher David Taylor will be with us preaching what he calls a “Pixar Sermon” on the Trinity, a sermon that’s kid friendly with plenty of ways for adults to lean in as well.
Peace,
Matt+
