Note from Pastors Jen & Chelsea - An abundance of Wow!
This week, I’m ceding my time to Rev. Chelsea Page, who will be worshipping with us on Sunday, but I just had to get in my own, “Wow!” after another amazing Harvest Market. If you haven’t already caught the news coverage, you can view it on NBC 5’s website. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What joy (and pride!) to serve as your minister.
Pastor Jen
Wow, I had such a blast at my first Harvest Market weekend. I am very grateful to Pastor Jen to be invited to participate in worship at UCU this Sunday. Jen has been an amazing colleague, and I run into UCU members at all sorts of amazing initiatives around town locally. One of my favorite things about my tradition of membership, the United Church of Christ, is its commitment to unity and creativity, both of which were on full display in our beautiful towns this past weekend. For a newcomer like me, it was an invigorating sight.
I recently had a youth at my church ask me what happens if you get baptized and then change religions later. We are all children of God so I don’t see that being a problem. But it caused me to reflect on my own journey. Many people when they change churches have good reasons to need to leave the old ones behind. However my experience has always been that I need to bring them with me. From my Roman Catholic core to my UCC pastoral vocation, and now to my deep joy experiencing the transformative and integrating power of Lutheran theology, plus getting to hang out with some Methodists on the side, well, I can truly say I am experiencing autumnal abundance in my spirit.
Wherever you are worshipping this Sunday - including at home, recovering from Harvest Market - I hope you get to experience some of the joy of World Communion Sunday, the day every year when Christians recognize Christ as the head of one global church. Happy communion!
Rev. Chelsea Page, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Jericho VT