Dear Church Family and Friends,
I am not sure what would be fittingly analogous to the due date of a baby. Perhaps, it is something like a surprise party—the precise timing of which remains largely a surprise even to those throwing it. All one really knows is that the main person organizing the party will undergo an undetermined period of suffering during the final preparations. Nevertheless, in the end, the guest of honor arrives and finally the celebration begins.
From a certain perspective, one could say that we live in a world full of due dates and surprises. I am thinking specifically of divine due dates: those unpredictable moments when goodness and grace suddenly burst through. Lately, I have been fortunate enough to experience a number of mini-surprise parties of this kind in different places: a path along the Columbia River, the tomato bushes of our community garden, and last Saturday’s Peace and Justice Fair.
This week I encourage you to celebrate the surprise parties in your own life to the fullest. Rejoice in the divine breaking forth all around us.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Brooks