I miss y’all! This is about as long as I have ever been without being with all of you. It seems the last several years we have not really experienced winter- and now its came in one fell swoop. I hope all of you enjoyed the weather, and the beauty of the snow. Its much more enjoyable when the power doesn’t go out- and I think we were all good on that front. I don’t believe I have been stuck at home so many days since the time of Covid. Truth be told, I was going a little stir-crazy. These sudden moments of stillness, where the world’s rush slows, are needed periods of rest. Its good that we have these moments to just stop and sleep a few extra hours, or spend some free time on hobbies we have been neglecting. With that being said, I’m going to be revealing… I struggle in the stillness. I want to go and move. Perhaps like many I tie some of my self-worth in with how productive I can be. I started reflecting about my last vacation as I was trapped in by the mini-ice age over the last few weeks. Last November

I take a little bit of comfort in the thought that I can’t be the only one who finds these to be challenging times we are living in. Often I think about the context of our world and how it relates to our young church. Back when I was in divinity school, my preaching teacher used to say, “Preach with the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other”, and so I guess I’m stuck with that thought process now. There have been times in my life where I have felt really certain about direction, or at least about the options presented. I have felt much less certain about those type of matters lately. I think that is natural when times are “unique” (to say the least). Over this Lenten period I have been meeting with a Spiritual advisor once a week. A wonderful chaplain out of the Chicago area who is a devoted member of the Catholic Church. I didn’t really know what to do or say when I first started, but slowly I have thawed. Our topics have been broad in nature, ranging from everything between what the last year has looked like all the way

 As the Christmas decorations are packed away for another year, and we all get serious about losing that pound or two we picked up from the holidays (that we will give up on in March), I want to express my thanks once more for all of you. We have had our second meaningful Christmas together as a church. That is in large part due to the work, talents, and dedication of all of you. This time last year, everything seemed so uncertain- especially our future. We didn’t even have a place to worship at. Today, what seemed insurmountable, is now in the review window and our mind moves toward the future.  Before we fast forward to tomorrow I want us to stop for a moment and think about all that we have accomplished over the past year. Here is an incomplete list: MISSIONS and OUTREACH 1. Organized and Protested at “No Kings Day” 2. Donated $500 to Wesley-Luther Campus Ministry/Food Pantry 3. Collected $800 for Afghan Refugees in Guilford Co. 4. Attended Planning Meetings with “Guilford Aging Alliance” 5. Collected the materials for and distributed 100 care packages to the homeless 6. Collected food for Simple Gestures RELIGIOUS SERVICES 1.