“Weeks and Years” by The Rev. Stephanie Kendell

This Sunday we will have a wonderful service that helps prepare us for the week. This week is Holy week and we have 4 different services that help you journey with Jesus and each other. Check out the rest of the newsletter and The Park’s other social media platforms for more information. They will surely be services that you won’t want to miss.

Normally each week, I share the scripture that we are going to hear, read, and study in worship. However, this week we will hear many stories and have more scripture than just a single pericope. This Sunday is Palm Sunday and it starts off our journey with Jesus as we move closer towards the cross and then the resurrection. It is a week that will remind us of the joys and hardships of seeking justice, building community, and serving God. But this community has been on a journey of growth for much longer than a week (or even the 40 days of Lent). This Sunday, Palm Sunday, marks the one-year anniversary of our congregation becoming a bilingual worshiping community.

What a wonderful year it has been. I know that I have only been a part of our community for nine months, but the commitment of making sure God’s word is not univocal, and experienced in many ways during service, is something that makes me so proud to be a part of this community. But that is not to say that it has always been easy; following Jesus never is. But what we have seen one year later is that we are more fully engaged in God’s creation and aware of the way God is at work in the world. We see more versions of God that are living into the “Divinity of Diversity,” and we have experienced the many different gifts of our diverse community. While we may stumble over words and songs, rhythms and movements, what is wonderful is that we have committed to stumble together.

That is what this week reminds us. That is what the stumbling and the joy all point us to. This is a week, that represents a year, that points to a life of loving and following Jesus. I am so thankful for this community and how we have grown together. Each Sunday I see people reaching out to sing, hug, and smile in many different languages but all with the same understanding: that we are each uniquely made in God’s image called to serve our communities by following Christ Jesus.

Church let us journey and celebrate this week and this year, as we look forward to the miracle of the risen Christ, and the hope of a community at work together in Christ’s name.