August 3, 2020

Dear Kirk family and friends,
 
It felt like the first easy decision of 2020!
 
The thunder was so loud that it shook the children out of bed and the rain was relentless. My Accuweather app showed that the rain would continue all morning. I sent a quick text to the Kirk staff regarding the Garden Service for this week.
 
“Rainout.”
 
Easy decision.
 
I’ll take an easy decision in 2020!

It seems like every decision is impossible these days. 
 
Do we send the kids to school? Parents are asking one another, interviewing every teacher, scouring every article, for any bit of detail to help make that decision.
 
Can we go out to the restaurant?
 
Can we spend time at the beach?
 
Can we travel to see old friends?
Everyone has different rubric for making those decisions and the weight of everyone’s opinion can begin to weigh heavily and really get us down. Which is why, maybe, some of you connected with me when I said in my sermon ( sermon link ) on Sunday, 
 
“Somedays the negativity defines us.” 
 
The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus offers a redefinition away from that.
 
In this week’s passage, as he hands over the miracle of the loaves and fish to the disciples, he invites them to be redefined - away from the weightiness, negativity, and cynicism - and into the carrying out of his miracle-making. He gives them the meal to give to the people and everyone eats and are filled.

I love to share glimpses of how I see our church being defined by the way we, like the disciples with loaves and fishes, live into the call to share God’s abundance with the people that need it.
Now, maybe more than ever, our kids need it. They need to sense that their church is here for them and that God is still present and active in their lives. This Sunday we celebrated our first baptisms in six months! We took every precaution for the safety of all and these children were welcomed into the family of faith. In addition, I am so pleased with how the “Garden Club” has continued this year with families taking turns to weed and harvest. Vacation Bible School, too, has marched on - albeit over Zoom - but it is a way to share God’s abundance in the best way we can right now.
Our hands and feet continue to carry the Good news of God’s provision. This week, a team of Kirk members helped unload a semi-truck of rolled up mattresses for Building Beds 4 Kids, a non-profit organization working to ensure every child has a bed to sleep in.
Voices too are carrying the miracle of God’s abundance. Glenn Miller was involved with and helped lead the online King’s College Royal School of Church Music in American Choir Camp. Each summer a number of our choristers travel to Wilkes Barre, PA to participate in this camp. This summer the camp presented a series of Zoom events, including a hymn sing, variety show (which included a skit by Kirk chorister Declan Field), sessions on vocal health during the pandemic as well as the chorister training curriculum. Glenn served as one of the emcees and organizers for the Variety Show and also was the director for Compline. 
Last week, six Accent Pontiac students carried Good News where it is needed by participating in the Archipelago Project's virtual Musical Innovation and Leadership Academy. Participation in this opportunity was made possible through generous support from the Kirk's Internet Fund and individual donors, which allowed Accent Pontiac to set families up with reliable internet access and devices.
And, of course, we continue to work toward sharing the miracle of God’s abundance by eliminating medical debt in the city of Pontiac. Read more about this effort as a send-off to Pastor Fernando and Kecelyn HERE . We are ABSOLUTELY going to meet this goal. I hope you will give a gift of any size and be part of the success!
Every day brings another difficult decision. 
 
It is that way at the Kirk - and I know it is that way in your homes and lives.
 
But, don’t let the burden of all of it define you. It is as I said on Sunday,”at the end of everything, at the end of our lives, when our stories are told, it is the way we crept out to join God in the miracle making - that will be what makes us, us .”
 
I hope that next Sunday, where we will welcome Rev. Jasmine Smart to the Kirk pulpit, we will be offered lots of sun and another easy decision. Join us online or REGISTER to be in the garden!

Stay warm!

Pastor Nate
We envision a world where every heart experiences
God's transforming love.