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Dear Friends,
We are in the Easter Season. So... (continued) Happy Easter to you!!! One of my favorite thins this year is how often we hear Jesus say to his disciples "Peace be with you." This Sunday we will experience Jesus eating with his disciples in the Gospel of Luke. They will eat some broiled fish together, Jesus will explain scriptures to them and he begins his time with them saying, "Peace be with you."
Jesus often offers peace, reassuring his disciples when they are afraid, facing challenges, or in need of encouragement. I believe Jesus still shows up today and bids us peace. Just as in the Gospels, it often happens as we gather for meals together. Sometimes it is an impromptu dinner or lunch with friends where you find yourself laughing and catching up on life. Jesus shows up in the conversation and your heart is filled with peace because two or three of you are gathered.
This past week Jesus showed up in a tangible way during Dinner Church. Dinner Church is our Wednesday night dinner gathering where we come together to have informal prayers and communion in the form of a collective and corporate mea usually around a theme. All ages come together to set-up, clean-up, eat, drink, laugh, talk, pray, and play. This past week our younger members in our community of faith led us in the teacher, prayers, and in helping us make homemade pizzas.
Through this time together, my eyes were opened in new ways to our scriptures. I experienced Colossians Chapter three verse 12 through the eyes of our community - Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I loved watching our youngsters clothe themselves with kindness and humility as they asked everyone's names and tried to match people with pizza orders. I loved the patience from the folks waiting for their turn to make pizza and for them to cook. I loved watching our community encourage the kids in their leadership as they made placemats reminding us to love God and led the prayers for dinner.
Surely this was the peace Jesus was sharing. A space and place where everyone is empowered to be a loving leader. A space and place where everyone is empowered to be a servant one to another - helping and loving each other with compassion and gentleness. A space and place where the community comes together to care for one another in such a way that God's presence is known in and through the love of Jesus.
That is my dream for us at St. Nick's. That is God's dream for us at St. Nick's. Our vision is to be a worshiping community - a place and space where...
Everyone Matters.
Everyone is Loved.
Everyone Belongs.
and
Everyone is Empowered.
I pray that God will open our eyes to the moments when Jesus shows up and bids us peace through one another. I pray that God will open our eyes to see God's vision alive and thriving here at St. Nicholas through all ages and all God's beloved people.
Thank you for being part of this community - you are making God's vision of peace, joy and love come true.
God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+
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