A Word from Pastor Nathan
Dear Church:
What a week it has been. What a month. What a year…make that two-and-a-half years. Earlier today a lay leader said, “Regathering will be another transition.” As much as I look forward to being with you (and I do; I cannot wait), I wondered how many more transitions we will face. The struggle is real. We feel this anxiety in different and similar ways.
These fears and anxieties make me anticipate this coming Sunday, which some call “Good Shepherd Sunday.” We always hear Psalm 23 combined with John 10:11-18 on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, no matter the year. I’m eager to hear these words; I’m looking forward to reading them; I’m curious, too, about preaching them. (It’s only Wednesday.)
Our recent past has been tumultuous. To quote the 23rd Psalm, we have walked through the valley of the shadows, and we have been tempted to fear evil. However, if we look back, we can say with faith that God’s rod and staff have brought us comfort and guidance. Thanks be to God. Jesus calls himself the good shepherd in John’s gospel. He says, “I know my own and my own know me.” I love that phrase; it brings blessed assurance. The good shepherd is the one who invites us to the table. He calls us by name.
Our lay leaders, committees, and I are working, too, on preparing a table. Our table is not the final table of God, but it is symbolic of the feast that is to come. Yesterday, I stood at the communion table in our sanctuary and looked out at the unoccupied sanctuary. Suddenly, a smile came across my face. I pictured you—with a mask—in different pews. I even went through your names, calling them out loud and pointing with a finger: “She will sit there. They will be here. And he prefers this corner of that pew.”
If we’re excited to prepare our regathering and communing, how much more, then, is God?
I think, too, that there are place cards with our names written in calligraphy. A proper place card is part of preparing a table. No expense is spared. The bread is fresh, and the wine is vintage. There’s more than enough for everyone to be satisfied at this table.
Peace abundant,
