Spirit Woven

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16)

This July, as I was able to spend time in quiet with God, I found myself reflecting on my life as wife and mother, as daughter, sister, friend and as pastor.  Particularly, as pastor OF Minneola Lutheran Church.  You see, context matters.  Yes, I am a pastor, but I am pastor to YOU; to this set of people in this particular place and at this particular time and that particularity feels like it matters a lot more this year then it has in the past.

The circumstances of our life together have shifted dramatically.  The shift caused by the pandemic has affected each of us, in small ways and in big.  It has left wounds, unresolved hurts and scars and most remain invisible.  It is going to take time to heal and find our footing together and that’s okay.  It’s okay, because the Spirit has been and continues to knit us one to another.  We are in a season of healing as individuals and a season of re-membering, of being woven together by the Spirit.  We are new people, who have shifted and changed, physically distant from this faith family of God, and it will take time and the weaving of the Spirit to be re-membered one to another. 

As any season of healing, this one too will be uncomfortable. There will be bruises which remained unseen and which will change and shift over time.  There will possibly be new cuts and harms as we wrestle through our larger griefs and the healing process will itch, and bother and irritate because we are not “better yet.”  Healing takes time, patience and endurance.  We need to be re-membered one unto another and siblings in Christ we DO need each other.  It is together that we are the incarnate, living, breathing body of Christ in the world.  I need you to help me weave myself back into this role as your pastor, and we need each other to weave us into this community of faith in the new ways that honor the people we are now.

I pray this season isn’t long, but I imagine it will go through many iterations before this faith family feels as connected to and present for each other as we did prior to the pandemic and that’s okay.  As we walk this journey may we remember Saint Catherine of Siena’s words in her poem “Vulnerable.”

Vulnerable we are, like an infant.
We need each other’s care
or we will
suffer.

With the Love of Christ,
Pr. Hannah