“Truly I tell you, what you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for
me.”
– Matthew 25:40
As I reflect on my newsletter articles from June 2020 and June 2021, I recognize how far we
have come since March of 2020 but also realize how much further we must go. In June of 2020, I was
both proud and humble to be a part of our faith community as we rallied together despite not being
able to physically be with one another. Despite it all, we continued to care for one another and for
those who were in need. We continued to stock our Petite Pantry and made endless amounts of
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to share with Central Presbyterian’s mission to take food to those
who may have not eaten otherwise as so many social service agencies were closed due to the looming
pandemic. We stayed connected through the use of technology – we had game nights, prayer
gatherings, book studies, and time to just share a beverage and chat with one another via Zoom.
Fast forward to June of 2021, we gathered for the first time in 448 days! On June 6th, we
gathered in the community room for worship and to officially welcome our new Senior Minister
Layne Beamer and his family into this community of faith. As with so much in life, sometimes it
feels like that was just yesterday and then, at other times, it feels as though it was a lifetime ago.
Wherever we stand on the spectrum of time, we have stood together to worship, pray, fellowship,
share a meal or two, and to work alongside one another both within our church walls and beyond. We
have stood with one another during times of celebration, disappointment, loss, gain, happiness,
sadness, joy, grief, birth, and death and for that I am proud and humble.
I share this reflection not only to remind us as to where we have been but to remind us to be
intentional in our willingness to be open to the possibilities that lie ahead of us. As I look ahead in the
church calendar, liturgically we will be entering the great green growing Sundays of the Church year.
May we each be open to growing personally as well as a community of faith in all the ways that God
would have us do. Yes, some may be hard. Some may be challenging. But if these past two years
have proven anything, it is that when we stand with one another then anything is possible.
Blessings,
Pastor Heidi