By now, you know that I often begin sermons, prayers, and greetings with “How good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity.” That is the PLaw translation of Psalm 133:1. I say it often, because I mean it always.

Being together in unity, in togetherness, in neighborly-ness is in fact good and pleasant in the sight of our Lord. I agree with the noted theologian John Calvin in his above quote. We are all each a blessing, having received our own gifts of the Spirit that are indeed to be shared with our neighbors.

As we enter into the summer rhythms, we are inviting in a new theme of “Be the Neighbor” for the month of June. (And yes, of course wisdom from Fred Rogers will be present in what we do!)

When Jesus taught the crowds, he reminded them of the ancient call to "love your neighbor". The question came in reply, "Who is my neighbor?" where upon Jesus told the story of The Good Samaritan. This powerful parable illustrates what it means to not only Love the Neighbor, but also how to Be the Neighbor. 

A part of being a neighbor is welcoming others into your space. We are welcoming in our neighbors this month with a new art installation outside the sanctuary. Our neighbors from the preschool to local artists to school age students have blessed us with powerful imagery with the inspiration theme: Be the Neighbor within in our sacred halls. 

Spend time with the art each Sunday, and even stop by during the week. Pause and notice what our neighbors have shared with us, what deposits they are inviting us to dwell with. My prayer is that it inspires your creativity, and your own divine ideas of how we at Northway can continue to Be the Neighbor in our fractured and hurting world. 

As I was walking and praying with the art this week, I had one idea of how we can Be the Neighbor – even while summer plans and travel may mean we are apart. 

Books.

I want to know what books you are reading, Northway. What is a book you couldn’t put down? What is a book that was a delight to read? What book do you wish the library had more copies of?

Share your book recommendations with me, so that I can join in a part of your life that is outside of Sunday morning. This is my first step in embodying what it means to be a neighbor, getting to know your world in a new way. What idea has God placed on your heart to Be the Neighbor?

I can’t wait to hear your answers.

See you on Sunday.

Rev. Virzola Law

Senior Minister

Are you the one who ends up with all the Monopoly money? Do you score in Scrabble? Jump for Jenga? Yell for Yahtzee? Are you not really sorry when you

play the game of Sorry?

Whatever games you enjoy, grab a friend and come on over to our place on Friday, June 2. We'll meet in Fellowship Hall at 6:00 pm for a fun evening of

playing games and eating pizza.

Stay as little or as long as you like. We’ll have plenty of games for all ages.

 If you have a favorite, please bring it!

If you plan to join us, please RSVP here so we know how much pizza to prepare.

June has arrived and that means it's almost time for one of our favorite events here at Northway - Vacation Bible School! We're hosting VBS workdays in F-101 on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9 from 9:30 am - 11:30 am. This is a great volunteer opportunity and a good way to meet others who are also sharing their time through serving and supporting VBS.

Hey Parents! If you'd like to keep up with Northway's activities for children and youth, you'll want to click here to check out our "Parent Connection" newsletter.

If you're not receiving this weekly email, but would like to, send us a note.