We’re in the season of Easter – celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and
new life we have in him!
We’re also back to worship in our sanctuary, and it is wonderful to be
back together again in-person!
I’m so grateful for all of you and how you’ve been able to endure this
COVID-19 pandemic with all its challenges. When I think about all the
creative ways we’ve been able to adapt to being the church toward one
another and our community over this past year, I am amazed!
As you know, I’ve been preaching a new sermon series, “Cultivating the Fruit of the
Spirit” about how we grow to maturity in Christ as we abide in Him and allow the
Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in our lives and our church.
As we come out of this pandemic and move back toward “normal” (whatever that
is), I want to encourage us to continue to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our
fellowship, especially as we navigate this precarious in-between time when we’re
slowly coming back to life as we knew it before the pandemic, yet we’re still not fully
there yet. I encourage us, with God’s help, to cultivate:
Love – Practicing loving God, one another, and our neighbors as ourselves,
understanding that love is not a feeling, but an action that puts others’ wellbeing and
protection above our own desires for comfort and control.
Joy – Practicing joy that acknowledges the losses we’ve experienced over the past
year, while still affirming the unexpected blessings we’ve gained; a joy that celebrates
the things we have and the things we can do, rather than regret the things we don’t
have or are not yet able to do.
Peace – Practicing the “peace the passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:6) that is granted to us
in Jesus Christ, on whom we can place all our cares and anxieties, knowing he will calm our
hearts and minds as he calmed the storm on the sea.
Patience – Practicing patience with others, with God, and especially with ourselves as
we weather what are hopefully the final throes of this pandemic leading soon to happier
times.
Kindness – Practicing kindness toward one another, especially as this pandemic has
strained us all in so many ways (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually). May
we seek the Spirit’s strength to extend an extra measure of kindness toward one another,
as none of us know the full extent of another’s struggle.
Generosity – Practicing generosity by expressing gratitude for the many gifts God has
given us, and by sharing the abundance of God’s gifts with others in need.
Faithfulness – Practicing faithfulness in continuing to show up for one another,
worship God together, serve our community, and follow Jesus as his disciples, even in
the midst of the challenges we face.
Gentleness – Practicing gentleness with one another, particularly when nerves are
frayed, tempers are short, and we’re tempted to react rather than respond to one another.
Self-Control – Practicing self-control with our thoughts, emotions and actions,
remaining even-keeled, steady and disciplined, even when the world around us seems
chaotic, and the ground underneath us seems constantly shifting.
Above all, let us stay firmly rooted like branches in Jesus Christ, the True Vine,
allowing the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit to flow in and through us, producing
sweet, juicy spiritual fruit to nourish our community (John 15:1-5). God who calls us is
faithful, and he will do this!
Blessings,
Hilary
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