It was a beautiful morning for outdoor worship with our partners at St. Paul’s, Pittsford on Sunday as we celebrated God’s table of abundance! We’ll be back in the Bethlehem sanctuary on Sunday, June 14 recognizing our graduating high school seniors.

Starting this month, the Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, will issue a monthly message through the end of this year in a series called “All Together in One Place.” Each message will share a pastoral word that witnesses to God’s presence today, rooted in Scripture, our rich theological tradition and the social teaching that connects us for life together.

Here’s a portion from his first message:

In our differences, we can still be together in one place, when that place is connection in the unity that only Christ gives us (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We stand in one place when we embrace the dignity of every human being by engaging others with curiosity and respect. We stand in one place when we shake off the immobility of fear to nurture connection in diversity. Our witness to the world embodies 2 Timothy 1:7: “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

Just as those early followers of Jesus Christ experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, may we also trust when the Holy Spirit comes blowing into our lives to connect the body of Christ.

Read Bishop Curry’s full message here.
Blessings on your week!