Dear Christ Church,
Christine and I love you. As we enter the final stretch of our time in pastoral leadership with you, we are savoring every moment, nostalgic and thankful. This past week, as I led Joyce Chalmers funeral and spent time with her family and some of you, I reflected on all the births and deaths during my time, baptisms and funerals, bookends of this precious life we are given. In between are the volumes of stories and characters, your story, the tragedies and celebrations, the sublime and the mundane. I can’t believe that I have been given a seat at your table, an invitation into your life to witness the grace of God at work in you, in us. Thank you for loving us back, even pastoring us through our own tragedies and celebrations. We will have more to say as we approach April 21st, but wanted to “check in” with our hearts and with you as it nears.
A Word from Christine:
“Each Sunday feels like a wonderland of your faces, your voices, the movement of your bodies coming and going, connecting and chatting, waving, sitting, standing, shifting as you greet each other, and then suddenly a small body runs through. The fabric of this community is being woven and rewoven each service as you worship together, call out the creed, listen with your souls, pass the peace, and then all together become one tapestry all afresh as you take in Jesus’ life and love in the Eucharist. You are a wonderland. You are a richly woven tapestry. Thank you for being so beautiful, honest, and faithful just by showing up. Thank you for your “yes” to God. It helps me be beautiful, honest, faithful, and say my own “yes” afresh. The weaving of my heart in yours, I believe is permanent, no matter what. That kind of loving and being loved. It’s permanent. I love you.”
We hope that you will be able to join us April 20th and 21st as we look back and forward together, during our Farewell Weekend! All the details are right here, and please note the links for registrations.
Peace,
Cliff+
PS This Sunday is the Feast of St. Patrick (also my grandmother’s birthday . . . and today is Fr. Matt’s and my birthday!). Take 3 minutes and be inspired by this short video on the life of St. Patrick!