Summertime God

Dear Middletown Reformed Church Family and Friends,

The grace of Jesus, our friend and Savior, be with you!

This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in our area. My goodness, didn’t the summer just whoosh on by?!

Earlier in the summer, I invited you to take the time to slow down and find a place and space to restore your body and soul, and seek ways to stay connected with God.

To be sure, I am at my most still and aware when I am sitting out in the backyard feeding the squirrels, blue jays, and chipmunks, and paying attention to God’s glorious creation all around me.

Allow me to share some of my summer God-sightings:

The new squirrels Sadie, Sammy, and Maybelline, each having their own characters along with their peculiar antics. Sadie is the most friendly and comes quite close to me.

The return of chipmunks Chipaloo, Pipsqueak, and Popsqueak, along with the new addition, Peep. Peep has gradually warmed up to me so that I can feed her peanuts from my hand. Sadly, Chipaloo has gone on to her great reward, but has given me the gift of her descendants.

Our stunning and regal five bucks: Little Tony; Stevie; Big Guy, plus the Thompson Twins. Little Tony is Twyla’s son. You may remember Twyla as the doe whose tongue hung out of her mouth. I look at Tony and I see Twyla’s face, and that makes me glad.

All the growth in our first ever Community Garden. It gave me, and continues to give me, such joy to be “Harvesting Henrietta” and to share the abundance with our congregation, the Calico Cat Food Pantry, and the Bayshore Lunch Program. And, I like the way the garden connects me back to my grandparents who were farmers. 

With our programming on hiatus, having more time to spend with the congregation having lunch, visiting, and generally, having more availability to be present for you. One of the best bits about my call and being your pastor is being with you in meaningful and holy ways.

Studying the Scripture with Grace Modla through our Lectio Divina meetings. It was incredibly powerful to read and reread the Holy word and to sit, wait, and listen for the Spirit to reveal new and powerful insights. 

And finally, toward the end of summer, I was given the trust of Groundhog Greta’s baby, Piglet, as she now comes up in the backyard and eats the peanuts I toss out to her. Huzzah!

Oh, there is much more I could add. But through my observations, and because I chose to slow down, restore, and pay attention, I came to see and know there was God for me, all around me, all the time, either in a squirrel, a deer, in Scripture, in you, or a groundhog, revealing the wonder of Infinite Love and joy.

And so, beloved of God, how was the summertime for you? Where did you feel God’s presence? How did the Holy Spirit surprise you, as she often shows up in the most unlikely places and people and creatures — yes, even a groundhog.

Come to worship this Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost at 10:30 AM and see how, where, and through whom you will encounter the Holy Spirit. This is the final Sunday of our summer series Sermons of the People and the topic is, Our responsibility as followers of Christ to take care of the earth and its creatures. Tom will lead us in our hymns and sing the Anthem “Have You Seen My Jesus.” I am preaching from Genesis 1.24-31; Psalm 24.1-2; and Matthew 5.43-48 and my sermon title is For the Beauty of the Earth. As it is the first Sunday of the month, we will come to God’s table of grace and celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. After worship, come downstairs to the Lower Auditorium for coffee and conversation with your church family before you head out for summer fun. 

May the wonder of Infinite Love and joy be yours this last weekend in summer. And don’t forget — pay attention — there is summertime God.

In gratitude for the privilege of being your pastor and the holy call of loving you,

Pastor Trish