Church Family,
My conversations this week found their way back to childhood. Stories and memories resurfaced of all the neighborhood kids playing outside together, running from one house to another, popping inside for a quick snack, and then continuing our parade throughout the neighborhood. Imagination was a powerful tool that we wielded as long as our parents would let us until it was time for dinner. Remembering these stories brought back a profound sense of nostalgia and a recognition of the unity I experienced in childhood. We lived, played, occasionally got in trouble, and dreamed together.
I’m sure we all tried to pause on Monday to step outside and witness the eclipse. Whether you simply glanced out the window, or joined the crowds at parks across town, you couldn’t have missed the sudden darkness we experienced at midday. I for one was amazed at this majestic display of our Creator who truly is Lord of the heavens and the earth. I was also moved by looking down my street and seeing so many people out in their front yards or driveways enjoying this experience together.
We’ve been through quite a few cultural events over the years. The emergence of social media, the hyper-connectivity of the iPhone, the COVID-19 pandemic and civic unrest & social evils, ice storms and, as of this week, eclipses. And while these events were maybe not unifying in the sense of bringing us together in peace, there is an experiential unity that we can share. We lived through these events, and we were/are deeply affected by them.
And maybe this is a stretch, and maybe I've let the sappiness of nostalgia take over (or maybe I stared at the full eclipse for too long!), but I feel comforted by this unity. I feel even more comforted by sharing these experiences with the people of Mosaic. This life is hard and so much is out of our control, and yet we are not alone. We live together. We play together, and occasionally get in trouble together. We hope and dream together.
April 27th is HYND where we get to serve together. We get to take up shovels, rakes, concrete for basketball hoops (IYKYK), chalk, and bubbles to experience serving our neighbors together.
It won’t quite be the same as playing in your front yard as a kid, but my hope is that it will be a day of unity where we show that we are disciples by how we love each other and that we would love our neighbors as ourselves.
Life in Christ. Life Together. Life on Mission. This is the family of Mosaic. Join us as we serve as a family on April 27th.
In Christ,
Rachel Parker
