Dear Friends,
What a joy it has been and continues to be to walk with you. This past week I have had the privilege of meeting with several of you one on one and with some of you for meals. I never take for granted the invitation to enter your lives in a different and more personal way. The sermon I preached about welcoming others into your homes resulted in enough invitations that I figure if I preach the same sermon once a month, I’ll have it made! Thank you for sharing yourselves with me and for including JE in some of the invitations.
One of my hopes during this Interim time is that you will feel able to trust me. Part of what will help with that is for us to get to know each other. When I have the chance to talk with you or have a meal with you, we begin to develop a relationship. Relationships are essential for building trust. Another one of my hopes is that you will feel cared for spiritually and emotionally. You can help me a great deal with that by letting me know when you are hurting or when someone else in the congregation you know is hurting or housebound or in need of a visit.
During Advent I will be offering a group experience to help deal with loss. I will tell you more about it in next week’s Contact. The holidays can be a difficult time for many of us due to family situations, health issues, the struggle to remain sober, or significant losses. We need to support one another during a time when the expectation is that we are happy and excited about celebrating Christmas and the New Year and the reality is that some are walking around with broken hearts. Stay tuned for more info.
Every day I look forward to what God has in store as I make my way to Oakland! Thanks for being you.
Beth.