On Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit did not only come in a single moment to a particular group of people. The Spirit has been active throughout the last 2,000 years, coming to each of us individually and to our the Christian church as a whole.
2020 was a difficult year for all of us and 2021 will come with its own challenges, some ongoing and some new. As we continue to navigate these unprecedented times, taking care of our mental and emotional health has become increasingly important. At 9:00 a.m. on January 10, 17, and 24 The Adult Forum will feature three mental health providers who are also members of St. Peter’s. Together, they will help us learn to stay well in stressful times.
The spiritual practice of writing is one way to create meaning out of chaos and to discover the Divine presence in the middle of it. Writing demands sustained attention and rewards with moments of clarity and reassurance. It is an act of prayer as old as our sacred scriptures.
This fall, we will have more Adult Formation opportunities than we have had over the last few years. It is my hope that there will be something for everyone!
I pray that we will continue to recognize God in the midst of the struggle. I pray that we will continue to say with Jacob, “I will not let you go, until you bless me.”
If there is one thing that has become absolutely clear to me over the last several months, it is how much we need one another.
We learn together, pray together, and work for justice together. Although we are physically separated right now, this work continues. I encourage you to spend time in prayer around what Jesus is calling you to do right now, and then find ways to turn that prayer into action.
My prayer is that we can use this time in the wilderness both as individuals and as a nation to clarify where our priorities are and who we want to be as people. Don’t just look backward with rosy glasses. Use this time of wandering in the wilderness to learn and grow so that when we enter the promised land, it will indeed be better than what we left behind.
As we live through this strange Lenten social fast that nobody wanted, I hope that we can spend some time with the disciples as they too struggle to adapt to a new normal. I hope that we can trust that “this too shall pass” and on the other side will be resurrection. It may not be on our desired timeline, but it will be. Please know that you all are in my prayers; please keep the clergy and staff of St. Peter’s in yours.
Although we are still at the beginning of Epiphany, the season of Lent will be here before we know it! During Lent, Christians typically choose to either give something up, or to take on a new spiritual practice. This year, at the invitation of the Diocese of North Carolina, we would like to offer you an option for a Lenten practice.
