Hello, Friends!
     This week I’m launching an adventure in communication—I’m going to start blogging!
    Now I know for some of you (maybe most of you) this is no big deal, but for this woman of a certain age who still prefers writing with a pen on a yellow legal pad and reading old books that smell like old libraries, it’s a huge leap into unknown territory.
    For some weeks now, we’ve offered the weekly sermon for listening, through our website.  This is yet another way for us to continue the conversation beyond our Sunday times of being together, reflecting on Scripture, praying, getting fed, checking in with Spirit for the week’s journey.
     Nothing can take the place of real, physical presence in a community of friends (old and new) who wish to be on a spiritual path, and share a faith journey.  So if you haven’t been coming around in person, I dearly hope you will.
And I also hope you feel free to stop by the church, or give me a call, or email me, anytime you’d like a visit or have a question.
      I’ve been doing a lot of research recently on how different faith communities are cultivating relationships and new ways of connecting and learning together.
It seems a number of church leaders, pastors included, have blogs going around all kinds of subjects.
     For starters, I’ll be jumping off of the Scriptures and message for each Sunday, extending into the Epistle column and who knows—to infinity and beyond!
      I have no idea how to do this, or how it will take shape—which is part of what makes this so much fun to try.  

       I’m hoping to create a venue in which more engagement, interaction, and application of
Sunday stuff can happen, for all of us. 
     Of course I’m hoping real people (like you!) will actually get into the mix, and I’m sure we’ll all learn from each other, as we go.
      So here’s a thought, for starters.
On Sunday we talked about “Call,” that sense of being nudged, guided, impelled into ways of being that are beyond our usual survival and success modes of operation.  One aspect of Moses’ experience we didn’t get into was the fact that his process took many years, had many phases,  included lots of “setbacks” and even some “wrong” turns, and in the end, he didn’t even arrive where he’d hope to end up—he himself didn’t make it to the “promised land.”
       What are we to make of this?  How do we measure productivity, progress, success?  And how do we keep hope alive, when things don’t seem to be going the “right” way?
     For instance, how many people have their hearts set on our presidential election turning out a certain way, for all kinds of noble reasons? How will we fare, as a nation, once someone has “won,” and someone has “lost”?
     What do you think?
     Stay tuned for the particulars on the blog connection—and I look forward to continuing the conversation with you this Sunday, and all our days to come.

Shalom,
Sarah