"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” - Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (NIV)
During these weeks after Easter, we share and tell and sing some of my favorite stories and songs. Images from nature like the Good Shepherd and the Vine and the Branches each Sunday remind us of the lengths God will go to show our weary world that every person is beloved and belongs to the body of Christ. The hot winds of inspiration arrive on the day of Pentecost and we discover a Holy Spirit that is always out ahead of us. And, wherever we set boundaries to name groups of people inside or outside our church community, the Spirit is at work going out ahead of us to bless, inspire and include those who feel separated or lonely.
We are always trying to catch up to the Spirit. Just before Easter, the Spirit surprised me when I wasn’t expecting it. I was heading home on a weekday afternoon and saw one of our neighbors with her Girl Scout uniform and a card table full of cookies. Of course, I brake for cookies, so I pulled over and went to talk with her.
When her dad came out, we chatted a little. He brought his kids to a handful of the Community Cookouts last summer and he asked me when we’d be starting up again this year. And then he told me: “You know, its funny you stopping by today because I was just telling my friends about the classic cars and cookout the other day.”
That little comment put a big smile on my face because I’m pretty sure that it was the first time that I knew someone outside our church community told their friends about something we did as a church. It inspired me and reminded me that this patient work of getting to know our neighbors and our community is Spirit work. It made me excited for May and for all the ways we’ll work to connect with neighbors we’ve met and neighbors we’ll get to encounter for the first time.
Our Community Cookouts are getting started on the evening of May 15th! There are plans in motion to host our first Buy Nothing Evening that evening, but Deacon will share more about that.
This month, we’re so excited to welcome back Dr Peter Durow and his vocal group Age to Age on May 5th at 3pm. They’ve just returned from a tour in Europe and I’m so happy that First will be included in their stops here in the Twin Cities.
As we embrace the beauty and promise of spring, may our hearts be filled with gratitude and our spirits be renewed in faith. Wishing you all a blessed month of May, catching up to the joy, hope, and abundant blessings the Spirit brings.
Thanks and peace,
Pastor Colin
