Dear Friends,
Whether in-person or online… it is SO incredibly good to worship with you today! I have missed each and every one of you and every member of your family so much throughout this year. If you’re brand new to Trinity Grace Church, I’m looking forward to starting this journey with you and your kiddos!
Last week on Palm Sunday, I looked at the my kids, six-year-old Benjamin and three-year-old Elizabeth, snuggling together on the couch watching church... and I started to cry. Even though I miss our Sundays as a collective church body, there is something about this quiet family moment each week that is truly special.
We have a tradition of making bacon each Sunday morning. It has become this restful way of waking up, eating bacon, and watching church online. I even get to savor drinking my coffee sitting down... slowing down and noticing the ways God is moving in our lives.
So much has been really hard this year, but there has been lots of examples of beauty and hope, too. What have you seen in your household?
And as you think about that question, remember all the ways you have invested in your family this year. You’ve done the laundry, wrestled on masks, stretched your grocery budget, coordinated zoom classes, changed diapers, and checked temperatures... yes.
But you’ve also read all the stories, sat through all the Ollie church videos, danced to worship in the kitchen, played Lego, explained the really hard things to a two year old, set healthy boundaries for a ten year old, and fallen asleep together on the couch after a long day.
You have invested in your family above and beyond. You are amazing. Well done, dear friends. I am grateful that you have also continued to worship with us online... thanks for being part of our church family!
We have been praying for miracles: this time last year we prayed for enough medical supplies, for loving care to the sick and dying, and for this plague to end. And here we are one year later: almost 25% of grownups have gotten their first vaccine shot... that seems to me like a miracle! God is clearly moving.
Everything is different. We are different and nothing will be exactly the same. Some of that is devastating, but some of that is new and beautiful. Today as we gather together — in-person, online, or some combination of the two — I feel a new depth of gratitude for people, worship, and sunshine.
Happy Easter: He is risen indeed!
With love,
Elisa Booker
Pastor for Children and Families
