In my discussions with Bob King about stewardship and our commitment Sunday this week, we were talking about the upcoming weeks and all that will be happening.  On 7 of the next 9 Sundays until Christmas we have a special event or program.  When you include the "routine" gatherings we have for ongoing programs, there is a lot happening at Holy Spirit.  I am ever mindful that these special times together don't happen in a vacuum.  Many of you have family commitments like sports for your kiddos, nightly dinners, trips, chores, and other things that take your time.  Many have busy work schedules and work trips that consume much of your days and weeks.  There are the fun things happening in our lives and around our city like the impending Astros comeback, a new current art exhibit, music events, movies, and neighborhood events like Trick-or-Treating.  It's no wonder that our lives are busy!

I am hopeful that all that we do at Holy Spirit can feed a special part of you and give meaning to your daily life.  We all need to be reminded that the inner part of ourselves that yearn for something more than busyness is fed by the one who made us.  The light you were given at your baptism still shines in that inner soul part of who you are.  One of my deepest desires for you is for your spiritual life to be fed with worship and fellowship, with learning, growing, and serving.  What we do on Sundays and at Holy Spirit connects the light of Christ given to every one of us with our day to day experiences.  When you struggle at work, in traffic, in relationships, etc. God is there with you.  When you give or receive a moment of kindness, God is smiling warmly upon you.  When you need to receive or give forgiveness, God's ultimate embrace of you (no matter what!) encourages and assures you of a never-ending source of grace. 

Church is often portrayed in culture as an additional thing or an "extra" in people's lives, but I want to suggest that church is the context for every other thing in life.  All things connect here.  All the big moments happen here.  All the little parts of who we are and what we experience are redeemed and made holy here. The promise of God's love for you is the paradigm in which everything else exists.  I hope you will join us for all the great things we have planned as well as the routine wonderful parts of our common life.  May God's desire to let your faith be the context for your life bring you much joy!