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Hello Church!
What a year! I can safely say this is the strangest year of my life…. maybe yours, too. Since our last annual program meeting, I took an extended vacation for a month last summer in the national parks out West with my family (amazing!). Before my metaphorical feet had landed back on the ground, I suffered a physical head injury in September that I am still recovering from. As I was supposed to tip toe back into a little work in March, COVID-19 shut down the world. What a strange year!
And yet through it all, God is faithful (and you have been, too!). I cannot thank Pastor Becky enough for jumping in to cover for me in ways I will never know. It takes someone with both great compassion and talent to do that, and she did it with seeming ease and grace. The executive committee stepped into pastoral roles to guide the church through my absence and through everything we had planned.
Without me and all that I promised to bring to it, you opened the Rockford Overnight Café saving lives during the cold winter months and sharing love to our city’s most vulnerable people. You helped create a HUGE mural for the outside of the gym with artist Tia Richardson bringing peace and joy to the neighborhood, some to be released when it’s hung. You hosted pilgrim potluck and funeral lunches. You rang bells, sang songs, studied scripture, cared for one another and served hot meals to neighbors on Mondays. You were church! (I’m sorry I missed out on so much as I was home in bed with my eyes covered and my ears plugged.)
Many thanks to Jim Delmore for being the moderator in this crazy year! Jim has a true servant’s heart and loves doing the detail work that many never see, like changing light fixtures! This year he also tackled the main work of the church with kindness and love. Jim has an eye for what is most important (things like justice, love and peace) and is able to focus there. Thank you, Jim!
It is true that people and organizations show their true colors in the midst of tragedy and challenge. Your colors are bright, church! And through this COVID-19 challenge, we will shine on. Our worship has gone to Facebook Live and conference call. Our fellowship has taken to video conferencing and phone calls. We all are more adaptable and resilient than we thought, and so is the church. For a while yet, our lives will look strange, but through it all God is faithful and we can be, too.
I am honored to be your pastor, church. Thanks for all your love and care and support for me and one another.
Peace,
Rev. Rebecca White Newgren