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Dear Beloved of God,
Thank you to everyone who participated in our May 1st congregational gathering and to the Deacons for providing an excellent continental breakfast! The conversations around the tables were engaging and meaningful. The session and I invite feedback from those who attended as we plan for other opportunities for dialogue and fellowship. We still have a lot of work to do for healing and reconciliation.
Our conversations were based on Psalm 85, which describes the situation of the people of Israel immediately following their years of exile in Babylon. Instead of returning to a "land flowing with milk and honey," they returned to a land devastated by war and left a wasteland. They were weak, poor, and disorganized. God was nowhere to be found.
Amid their discouragement, the Psalmist prayed that God's salvation would be fulfilled. While the people were looking for God to "restore their fortunes," the Psalmist describes salvation: " Grace (mercy) and truth have met together; justice and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10, Complete Jewish Bible).
On Sunday, we heard the voice of each of these qualities in the various statements church members made throughout the discussions. Statements like, "We've got to know" (truth) and “Can we forgive?" (mercy); "How are we going to make right what was wrong?" (justice) and “We need to find a way to restore our relationships” (peace). These four do not always seem to be in harmony, yet the Psalmist declares that God will bring them together. Reconciliation requires all four. They are all good and vital.
What happens next? This Sunday, May 8, I will be speaking on the state of the church. I hope you will continue to join in this important conversation. Let us seek to understand what God is doing in our midst as we come to terms with the past and imagine the future God has for us.
Truth, Mercy, Justice, and Peace to you,
Peggy
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