January 2022 Newsletter
Hello all!
Good day all! I can’t believe we are heading into another New Year! As we do that though, I want to reflect on last year—a specific date last year. It is not too far past so I remember it well. It was December 19, 2021. It was the Longest Night Service. Our church was full of people (all masked) and music, choral and handbells! The Waconia Chamber Choir Carolers sang for us and the Faith Handbell Choir rang for us. It was so moving, so needed! Toward the end of the service after those of us who wanted had lit a candle (for me it was for my brother David, my father-in-law, Fran and my brother-in-law, John), Art Johnson stood up to sing about a Man from Galilee. Some of the choir members teared up. It was so moving. Art was so careful to sing his very best and he nailed it!
The Longest Night Gathering was about light. I talked about how light will make room for itself in darkness every time. And this is true. I was talking with Margaret Sirolli this week and we were both lamenting a sense of heaviness and darkness following us into 2022. She wondered what could be done to lift this darkness, how could we bring light into the world?
She suggested random acts of kindness. YES!! This month we are going to be intentional about bringing light into darkness. We are going to do this by performing random acts of kindness—random, but very intentional. We are invited to do three acts of kindness, weekly, if we can, daily if you like, whatever works for you. We are invited to do these with intention for another member of the church, for a neighbor and for a stranger. For extra credit, try doing an act of kindness for your enemy….but I hope we don’t have many of those…
What we are trying to do is bring light into the darkness by creating a space for kindness, a habit of kindness, because kindness will make room for itself in meanness every time. If you are feeling really down, try doing something kind, it will help you feel better. If you see someone struggling, your act of kindness will most likely bring them a moment of reprieve; it may even transform their situation.
I would love to hear about your acts of kindness (received or performed) and share them with the church on Sunday mornings. One act of kindness can inspire us exponentially to do more! Sharing stories about kindness will encourage us and warm our hearts. Please consider joining this movement of kindness; let us light up the world!