According to Mark 2019-October
Aaaaah, fall, that season that brings out the earth tones in the world-oranges, reds, yellows, browns, and the harvest of all the year’s efforts. How did your garden grow? Like most things in life, mine was mixed-too wet for the squash, too cool for the carrots, but just right for the Roma tomato plants which yielded over 5 gallons of sauce for us to enjoy.
Our church buzzes with activity in October. It’s a lot of fun to be here and see, hear, feel, and otherwise experience the fullness of TCC’s events, from the Blessing of the Animals to the community suppers to the hustle and bustle of the Greg’s Run (walk/run). We also get to hear how God has taken our message into the community through hearing about how we have loved and supported persons both close and far away from Townsend, but being near to God’s heart.
It is this harvest of faith and promise that we celebrate. We know that what we do here can change the world, if we keep to what we know God’s promises to be, and trust that we can be the change that we seek. Many people these days feel powerless at the scale of problems in our world: climate crisis, opioid crisis, structural racism, economic inequality, and perpetual infighting in our civic institutions that lead us to a crisis of trust of one another. More time scrolling through emails, emojis, memes, and snapchat pictures leaves less time for face-to-face time with family and community. And yet, the church is that one place where families gather on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and throughout the weeks and months to take a break from the world, its problems, and refocus on what matters. We come to church to remember that our lives are at their best when we focus not on the arcane worries, but on relationships and the ways we can improve ourselves and those around us right here, right now.
Townsend works well because TCC hosts, on most weeks, one of the most joyous block parties around. We come together, sing, tell stories, eat really great food, and give thanks to God that we have some place that teaches us that the world is more than bad news headlines. That goodness still happens. And that our kids can learn that they, too, can learn about the value of goodness and community, and the ties that bind us are not what we are but WHO we are.
So this October, look through the newsletter, come to one of the activities, and more importantly bring someone else. Spread the good news: God is near, because God is HERE.
Pastor Mark
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