Dear Friends,
While I was writing the Sunday School at Home lesson this week, the vote counting had just begun. As I send this out, we still stand at a crossroad, holding our breath. More change is coming. How do we walk into it? How do we live into it? Love into it? Minister into it? Follow God into it? Birth something good out of it?
Our focus passage this week is Joshua 24:1-3; 14-25. One thing this week’s passage says is that Joshua, at the end of his life and leadership of the Israelites, realizes that the people must decide once again (and again and again) about their core identity--values and virtues--especially in times of change. He recognizes that they are at a crossroad and that many choices, many temptations, and many other “gods” lie ahead of them.
Joshua tells his community that he and his household have made their choice: they’ve chosen a covenantal life with YHWH, the God who walked with them out of bondage, provided for them in their hours of need, taught them about neighbor-love justice and taking care of the vulnerable, and stuck by them even through their anxiousness, testing and doubt. And the people say, “We’re with God, too!”
But Joshua tells his community that his God requires a whole-life commitment, so they need to be sure their lives and God’s love are in alignment. Joshua knows the people are out of the wilderness, but still at a crossroad, and if they know what matters most in their covenant with God, they’re more likely to choose the best paths ahead, no matter where they are walking, who’s in charge, what storms come up, what other wildernesses they walk into.
In these changing seasons and changing times of our own, what will we orient our whole life toward in the days ahead? Answering that might be the important step before our next step.
Coming Up:
Contributing to our Advent Devotional: This year we are creating a special Advent Devotional with reflections from all of us! Hilary would love your Advent pieces by Sunday, and then she’ll start the work of putting the devotional together for all of us to enjoy. Have you sent your special story, poem, memory, favorite tradition, in yet?
And speaking of Advent, each Sunday night of Advent, we plan to offer some time in (virtual) community so we can light our family Advent wreaths or Yule log candles together. We’ll hear a bit of the scriptures of the season and other readings and talk about how we can make Christmas’s light and love shine brighter and brighter.
See this lovely invitation from the Parish Life Ministry about a gift to help you could prepare for Advent:
The Parish Life Ministry is working with Gordy Mandt to provide Yule Logs for those in the congregation who want them. The logs will be pre-drilled to hold taper candles. Some people in the congregation may already have logs from a previous Advent Festival. To help the ministry know how many logs, candles and decoration packets to prepare, we ask that you take this brief online survey by November 8th: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5985772/Advent-Log-Materials-Request
Free logs, candles, and decorations will be ready for pick up on Saturday, November 21 from 9 a.m. - noon, along with other materials needed for the season of Advent.
The Parish Life Ministry
Fauntleroy Church, UCC
Peace, Pastor Karyn
