Rev. Mark Thomas, Senior Minister

Dear Friends,

As I write this I am about forty-five minutes from my second meeting with the children participating in this year's Vacation Bible School. My official title is "Reflection Time Leader." What that means is that I get to sit on the floor in a make-shift space capsule with two groups of fifteen kids sitting with me. I get fifteen minutes with each group and try to relate something astronomical to something spiritual. Today I will talk about the moon and its origin and then speak on the presence of God. I have now forty-four minutes to figure out how to do just that!

Isn't this what we all try to do as we work our way through faith journeys and spiritual pilgrimages? Don't we seek to understand a portion of Scripture and discern its message for our lives, or gaze upon nature and ponder our place within this created order? How many of us have experienced a powerful moment and sought to understand its message and impact on the rest of our lives?

Finding the path for the inward journey is difficult for many. We are raised to think in practical terms. We become busy just getting through the day, leaving little time left to ponder the architect of that day or to wonder where the day is taking us. The problem with this is that we find ourselves just spinning our wheels through endless cycles of another minute, another hour, and another day.

The Church can either be a place of vibrant investigation into the depth of meaning, or a sepulcher for tired souls seeking to be left alone to sing a hymn and listen to a sermon. Church can either be a destination for discernment, or a rest stop. Studies that look into why certain churches grow and others stagnate or decline all agree that the vibrant churches are those that encourage connections - connections between people and God, between people and people, between people with the natural world, and connect people with the various issues that stand before us. Jesus never built or encouraged a structure for faith. He did not form administrative teams or hired the best Sigma Six graduate. What he did do, was to create relationships. He sought to connect those he met with the God he knew and loved. He sent his disciples out to bring people together in a common search for peace and justice. Our Lord kept reminding those who followed that the poor and the orphaned, the physically and emotionally challenged, the ones society had rejected, were all part of God's family of humanity. He said that to help anyone in need was to serve God. Jesus was about connections and as we give praise to God, our works of kindness and support will speak far louder than any hymn we sing or be more pleasing to God than all of our cathedrals.

Gravity connects every part of matter and energy to the physical world. Its force is universal and its pull and tug crosses unimaginable distances. Every living thing is connected as well and our faith journey seeks to understand and celebrate this connection. At LCC we are looking for new and creative ways to connect with God and each other. This is what it means to be a congregation that is faithful to the call of faith. In our worship, spiritual growth, mission and fellowship activities, we are developing and strengthening relationships and connections between members, our community, and the world. Come and worship! Come and serve! Come and connect and relate!

Your friend in Christ, Rev. Mark