Dear Glen Mar,

Last week we talked about how to overcome fear, in favor of faith and love. This week, we’ll address what God gives us to overcome the fatigue of a long COVID season, and the fatigue of brokenness. Are you “tired of being tired?” Is there a balm in Gilead? Yes. Come worship with us online this weekend and be refreshed, and be restored for the work God is calling us to do. We’ll pray for our nation, and for one another.

I spent today in prayer, and watching the Inauguration in the background. No matter who gets elected, seeing the pomp and circumstance, hearing oaths given, and the poetry, always brings a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. My prayer is that our country can find a pathway forward that would honor God with love and grace and brother and sisterhood and live out love of God and love of neighbor (See Matthew 22: 34-40).

In that prayer time, I was also drawn to Isaiah 58, the Old Testament scripture for Christmas Eve:

“6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard…. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday…Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.”

I’m grateful for the countless ways Glen Mar is a repairer of the breach and the restorer of streets to live in. Our amazing MLK Day of Service is a prime example of that, as so many of our fellow churches and neighbors joined in service projects right where we live. From jump ropes for foster kids to fleece hats for our unhoused neighbors to neighborhood cleanups and clothing drives, we honor Jesus in our service and the witness of Dr. King, too. Another way to be a repairer and a restorer is to sign up for Courageous Conversations about Race and Religious Bias (see below). Glen Mar hosted this event a couple years ago and it was such a blessing. I encourage you to sign up as a way to listen and to reach out to one another.

I’m so grateful to be your pastor…see you “online,”
Pastor Mandy