In the summer of 2001, I took a small group of students to Greely, Colorado, on a mission trip. We had a good week working with Habitat for Humanity and the county food bank. On the last night of the trip, we found ourselves in the dark sanctuary of the church where we were staying. Eventually, one of the students began playing the piano. As we sat there in the dimly lit pews, she began to play one of our main worship songs – “Take Me In.” As she played, I stood to talk to the rest of the students who were there. 20+ years later, I have no memory of what I said to them, but I remember the experience: it was a holy moment, a moment when God showed up and impacted all of us.

That’s what holy moments are. They are those “little, perfect, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments” that often happen in our everyday lives: Moses and the burning bush, Elijah hearing God’s still, small voice on Mt. Sinai, Isaiah seeing the Lord in the temple, the birth of a child, a wedding day, even sharing the final moments on earth with loved one after a life well lived. Holy moments occur when the Living God meets us where we are, in common places, doing normal things, using ordinary elements. 

Holy moments are markers in our spiritual journey, like lights along a path or height marks on a door jamb. They give us strength when we are feeling weak, when our spirit feels dry. They are showers of rain in the desert, springs of water bringing us new life. Holy moments remind us that we are loved, that we are valued by God, and that we are not insignificant to God. 

So, my prayer going forward is that we are aware of those holy moments that happen all around us: in stillness and in chaos, on highest mountaintop and in the deepest valleys, in work and in play.

Grace & Peace,
Blake

Image by nonmisvegliate from Pixabay.

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It is hard to believe that another school year is about to start. Soon, kids and parents both will be working to get back into this rhythm of life, establishing their routines to help things run as smoothly as possible when it comes to getting ready for and off to school. Teachers will be met, school clothes will be bought, just the right outfit will be laid out for the first day, school supplies will be purchased, and backpacks will be loaded with fresh supplies. It can be an exciting time, full of anticipation, and adventure.

In the book of Nehemiah, we find God’s people working to rebuild the wall around the city of Jerusalem. They know it is going to take a great deal of effort, but they are willing to do what needs to be done. It was not an easy job, not something that any one of them could undertake alone, but together they were able to accomplish their task.

In many ways this is where we find ourselves right now at St. Mark’s. We are facing the task of rebuilding, of doing a new thing in a familiar place. But it is not something that can be done by any one person, nor is it something that only a handful of people can do. It is the kind of job that that will require us all to work together to share the Gospel of Jesus with those we encounter in the neighborhoods surrounding St. Mark’s UMC.

So now, as the summer passes into fall, as the temperatures begin to drop, God beckons us to come, to worship, and to serve. This is a new season, with new opportunities, here at St. Mark’s UMC. I would invite you to join us or re-join us as we begin this adventure together.

Grace & Peace,
Blake

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