Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
My Mom was a singer and an organist for a church. Growing up as a kid she would sing a favorite song all the time. I never really paid much attention but as an adult some show tunes are permanently programed in my head. One of her favorites was “Getting to know you” sung by Julie Andrews featured in the musical: “The King and I.”
“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me. Getting to know you, putting it my way, but nicely, you are pre- cisely, my cup of tea.”
Alright I admit it, as corny as it is, that tune has made its way to my consciousness right now. Thanks Mom.
Each Easter we celebrate the life, death, and resurrec- tion of our Savior. And we get to know him once again. We get to know him once again and that sets us up for the rest of the year. It is all about getting to know him. When hardship happens in our life, circumstance forces us to look at him. When great joy fills our hearts, we turn to him and thank him. In fact, in all our human experiences, we are prodded to look his way. “Getting to know you….”
This Easter the words of “Getting to know you” has a different meaning as you experience your spiritual journey shared with me, your new pastor. While we focus on “Getting to know” each other, we also are prodded to look beyond that to see the workings of Jesus Christ, our loving Savior, in the development of our relationship and its direc- tion. So far, I have been blessed and amazed by what has happened to me. But I also know that there is so much more to come. I am excited about that.
Together with the Congregation Council, we are planning Cottage Meetings (evening meetings of church people in people’s homes) starting around May 20. They will be hosted by people in the congregation and one will be held in Leesburg, Ashburn, and Purcellville. We understand, you may be tired from work. You may need to get a babysitter. There may be a million ways to spend your evening. We ask that you help us by spending one evening with us. During that time, we would like to know your thoughts and dreams for this church community. In short, we are getting to know you, getting to know all about you. From these meetings, the council will have a planning retreat and follow up with a planning session for the whole congregation in late summer or fall.
I am amazed how vested people are in this community. We all want to do God’s work here (That is called growth), and we all seem eager to make that happen. It is all about the abundance of resources we share and how to effectively share them for the benefit of God reaching all he can. There is no better or more nobler challenge. But that challenge is all of ours together. We can’t wait to hear and share in the discussions about this community we love at the Cottage Meetings. So, please look for the sign-up and maybe bring a church friend.
A later verse of the song is: Sharing your spirit, sharing your tears and your laughter, hoping it goes on, hoping it lasts endlessly. You are completely, my friend you see. Let us all sing along: Lord, getting to know you—Friend: Getting to know you like me,
Have a wonderful Spring,
Pastor Gerry