Hello New Friends!
We have not had the pleasure to meet officially just yet, but I have heard a lot about you. Well…maybe not you individually (it’s okay, you can relax now), but more so you as a community. And Deer Lake United, I am thrilled to be joining you in a few months’ time as your new minister. I can already imagine the many stories that will be shared, the laughs that will echo through the halls, the questions that we will explore together, the food that will be indulged in, and the spiritual trek that lies before us.
It is that spiritual trek, the journey, the path, that has brought us together. And in these times, that trek is not easy. In a world of pipelines, viruses, housing and economic concerns, and so much more, it is too easy to live in fear. It is easy to be afraid of the future; of what is before us, what might and could happen. It is easy to hold one’s breath in hesitation and seek to stand still. Yet, God is calling us to live, to laugh, and to love.
As I join you, I invite you to make Deer Lake United a community where we come together, not to put aside the fear, but to walk through it in faith. Often times the first step is just to breathe. Breathe in compassion that gently holds the scared. Breathe in joy that inspires us to dance. Breathe in grace that sees truth and accepts all. Breathe in gratitude for all that we have received and shall be given. Breathe in hope that the future is indeed bright and glorious.
How does this sound, friends? Will you come and breathe with me?
Joseph