Dear friends,
What a gift it is to have had a month of sabbatical in January and February. I am so grateful for your honoring of the value of time for renewal. Fran, Jeannie and I hopped in the car, put my bike on the back, and drove first to Northern Virginia, where we spent time with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and assorted nephews.
Then we headed down to Richmond, where we visited with my sister and brother-in- law, more nieces and nephews, two great-nieces and two great-nephews. From there, we drove to Homosassa Springs, in West Central Florida.
It is an amazing place. Our rented cottage looked out over a canal, with a small alligator watching over us. I kayaked with manatees and dolphins swimming underneath me. We found a wonderful state park that rehabilitates birds and animals and draws manatees into its natural springs. I discovered some great places to bike.
Fran took thousands of pictures!
I also worked on our Resilience in Community project. Danielle Rousseau and I fleshed out our idea for a book that shares stories from our Edwards Church and Open Spirit experiences of resilience and invites the reader to reflect on their own.
As part of the process, I looked over my notes and re-listened to some of the interviews conducted in late 2021. It was inspiring to be reminded of the practices, strategies and expressions of our faith that helped us survive and sometimes thrive through the pandemic. It was powerful to hear how important a role Edwards Church and Open Spirit communities played in that time—and how important a role our communities play today.
With those reminders on my mind and heart, I came back to the beginning of Lent. Our theme, Traveling Together Toward Easter, feels especially meaningful after listening to so many stories of how we got through the pandemic time. The journey toward Easter is not an easy one: we know there is confusion, pain, struggle, and loss along the way. When we travel this road together, seeking to follow Jesus, we work together to figure out the way, we offer healing words in times of pain and loss, and we hold each other up when we are struggling.
Years ago, the Growth and Outreach Committee created a tri-fold welcome brochure for our church. The front page includes this poem: The way is often winding/ the road is sometimes rough/when we travel together, the journey can be joyful.
As we travel together toward Easter, I pray that our journey, though winding and rough, may also be joyful.
Peace, Debbie