It is wonderful to be back from my time away and I would like to thank all those who served as leaders in my absence. The gift of a sabbatical is not one I take lightly, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
And now, we enter into a new season. School is starting and with it we move back into our fall schedule at church. In another place in this newsletter, you will see a partial list of some of the events coming up over the next few months. These opportunities provide a chance for us to build our faith community – through relationships, fun, service, Bible study, and worship. I hope you will make a point to be a part of those things that will feed your soul.
In worship, I will be preaching a sermon series during the months of August and September called Unraveled. You will see the schedule of sermon offerings on the front page of the newsletter and on one of the large posters in the outside hallway.
In our unraveling, sometimes life surprises us with a new beginning we couldn’t have imagined. Sometimes we need God to unravel us, for we long to be changed. This sermon series will explore 9 stories of unraveled shame, identity, fear, grief, dreams, and expectations. These are stories where God meets us in the uncertainty; unraveling our plans—and us—into something new. Each week we will also sing a new hymn text that dovetails with the theme of the day as our Invitation Hymn. I encourage you to take in these words as you sing, hearing God’s voice in them.
It's a new year. I am filled with anticipation for what new things God has for the Union family in the upcoming months.