A Whole New World

 As we prepare to enter into our great celebration of Pentecost, and bring our Easter Season to its close, I'm mindful that we have much to celebrate as a church and as citizens of the world.

How wonderful was it to fully celebrate our Holy Week and Easter Liturgies this year, in person and in churches that are slowly and carefully beginning to fill up once again. Welcoming our neophytes over these last 50 days has been such an absolute joy.

Our cities and our states, towns and our world is cautiously, gently opening up again. We can stand a bit closer. We can offer a handshake or a hug, or at least a smile from behind a mask that is kept handy. We are beginning to feel like ourselves again, to feel human, to feel connected to one another at last.

Recognizing the gifts of the Spirit will be given to us once again this Pentecost, I find myself asking how do I want my world to be different as we emerge from these last 14 months of pandemic? How do I want to be different? I don't want anything, myself included, to go 'back to normal'. If I've learned anything from this experience it's that 'normal' wasn't all that healthy for me. I was too busy with things that perhaps weren't that important, and consequently neglected people and things that did matter. How can I choose better for myself and my community moving forward? 

Perhaps one of the gifts of the Spirit will be to help us discern as community and as individuals the best places to put our energies. This last year has helped us all examine what we say our values are and consider if our actions really do support what we claim we believe. Are there changes you want to make in your day to day life as we step into summer?

How will we stay connected to family and friends that we have rediscovered in these past months? How much time will I spend at work, and what time do I reserve for taking care of myself and those I love? Where does God and gratitude fit into my day? 

As we open ourselves up to the stirrings of the Spirit, I pray that we will each receive the gift or gifts we need in order to live our lives more purposefully in the days to come. Let's not 'go back to normal'. Who says 'normal' is so great anyway? Let's aim for EXTRAORDINARY LIVES!!