November 18, 2016
I've just returned from our Senior Seasons beach trip with 30 of our "seasoned citizens." Honestly, it's a highlight of my year. The camaraderie is outstanding, the food is superb, and everyone is so very relaxed and at peace. Even the Bible study is loaded with great questions, insight, and enthusiasm.
We've done this long enough that we have a few traditions ... so when we learned that we wouldn't be eating Anne Loeblein's monkey bread on Monday morning, well, we almost had to pack it up and go home. Saner minds prevailed and we started a new tradition. No worries.
I'll be the first to say that the Senior Seasons beach trip is a pretty cushy part of my "job." But I'll also say that it's a critically important part of what we do and who we are. One of the primary responsibilities of the church is to create space for folks to experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes that happens in worship (often, we hope), other times as we join together for a "St. John's Serves" project. It also happens as we step aside from our daily routine in the joy of intentional Christian fellowship.
That's what our beach trip was all about: venturing from home to a place set apart so that we might focus hearts and minds on the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst -- a Spirit that gathered us together in love, peace, and joy.
The fact that shrimp, sand, and sunshine were involved made it all the better :)
Blessings to you this week of Thanksgiving. I'll see you in worship.
Pastor Rhodes
