“I get by with a little help from my friends” (Paul McCartney)

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”  Acts 2: 44-46

“Beyond knowing one another, the smaller church acts and feels like “family”.  (From ‘The Indispensable Guide for Smaller Churches” by David R. Ray).

I’ve had a week.  A really hard week.  My mom was taken to Emerg on Saturday night and my Dad was taken to Emerg on Sunday night.  (My parents are divorced, but both live in the same city).  I was called in the early twilight-zone hours of Monday morning to get to Emerg right away because my Dad was so sick.

After much skillful medical intervention and prayer by all of you, both of my parents are back in their homes.  So, the crisis is over.  But I have been running on fumes since Sunday.  I was going to blow off writing the blog this week, citing that I was too tired; but instead, I feel compelled to write.

Because, as hard as this week has been, it also has been a week of ‘glimmers’; you know those brief moments where God’s love and provision shines through and I am assured once again that there is purpose and meaning to all aspects of my life.

It began with our Board Meeting on Sunday afternoon.  You see, while I didn’t get my own way on all of the issues that we voted on (still waiting on the bunkie and the hot tub, Paul!) we talked meaningfully and gracefully about many many issues and voted on a way forward that is quite remarkable.  We may be smaller.  We may be older.  But we are a thriving and exciting community to be part of.

Monday morning when I had gotten home from my night at Emerg with my Dad I took a call from Ruth Anne to debrief after the Board meeting.  After we talked for a few moments, I told her what had happened in my family, and Ruth Anne did what Ruth Anne does; supported me and told me I needed to go to bed.  I did.  After I finished the bulletin; which she noted and scolded me about!  A little glimmer of God’s love in being parented at the ripe old age of 60.

Tuesday, I ran into the hospital before I went to UCW and I sent a quick note to Linda telling her I was going to be late.  When I got to the church, Linda greeted me with a bear hug that almost brought me to tears.  Followed immediately by hugs from Anne, Shirley, and Barb.  I had the chance to talk about what had happened to an attentive and caring group of women.  A little glimmer of God’s love extended almost automatically by faithful and true women of our church.

And the care kept coming in.  Texts from people.  Emails.  Phone calls.  Support from all directions.  God’s love glimmering through all of my experience.  Even as I told people that it appeared that the crisis was over at Prayer and Share on Thursday, there was an insistence that I also have the prayers of our community.  God’s love glimmering throughout all of the exhaustion of my life.

This week marks my 5^th anniversary at Bethel.  October is also Clergy Appreciation Month.  And all I can tell you is that:

I am so grateful to be called to Bethel.  And you have an ethos of appreciation that means I feel honored and supported year -round, not simply in the month of October.  You are a remarkable group of people that I feel honored to be Called to.

Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for the past five years, and for the future 5 plus years.  And thank you for all of your glimmers this week.

Blessing today and remember you are Loved.

~Rev. Lynne