Do you make New Year’s resolutions?
Yes? Good for you.
Self-improvement takes discipline and the word “discipline”, and the word “disciple” have the same root word.
And, if your answer was “no”, then let me suggest just one resolution anyway.
During the pandemic we have become more isolated, both physically and socially and this has had a negative impact on our mental health. So, one possible antidote would be to join one of the Friends and Food groups that are being organized on Sunday January 8 after worship.
These are groups of 5 to 8 people. The ideal number is 7. The groups meet once a month. They can meet at a home, at a restaurant, in a park, or some other place. The point is to gather around food and enjoy fellowship. It is a unique opportunity to get to know others in your congregation. You will hear stories and learn things about others that you probably would not learn during a coffee fellowship conversation.
Covid taught us many things. For one thing, as a church, it taught us to get out of our buildings. The pandemic made online worship a normal occurrence. Covid also taught us how fragile and important our relationships are. Our connections with our siblings in Christ can be severed by illness, death, and isolation. We must cherish and nurture those connections.
And who knows what you may learn about others, and maybe even about yourself? It might even lead to some epiphanies, in this season of Epiphany.
So, please take part in a Friends and Food group, even if you cannot cook, or host a group, just get involved! Get connected!!
A faith community’s strength is in its relationships. Jesus’ final commandment, a new commandment was, “Love one another.”
Happy New Year, and a blessed Epiphany season
Pastor Bob
