The Journey We Share

This week Rachel and I made the drive to Austin, Texas to visit our kids and bring our youngest, Kiran, home to Wichita for the summer.

Soon after arriving, we celebrated Kiran’s birthday at our favorite Asian diners. Gifts were exchanged: a Grateful Dead poster left behind by a friend, a pair of well-loved vegan Doc Martens, and a Wichita Pride flag. The gifts themselves were modest, but the laughter, stories, and time together were priceless.

On Tuesday evening, after grabbing what may be the best vegan bacon cheeseburger anywhere, Rowan took us to a DHC show (IYKYK). As the wind picked up from the east, dark clouds gathered overhead. By the time we finished the last of the tater tots and headed toward the venue, the rain was coming down in sheets.

The weather did not stop a few dozen people from gathering for a charity concert in a dark garage. Between sets, we stood beneath the shelter of a metal patio roof while rain drummed overhead. We talked. We listened. I watched young people who cared deeply about one another, their community, and the causes they support.

More than anything, it was a joy to see our children becoming who they are. Thoughtful. Compassionate. Creative. Full of ideas, passions, questions, and dreams.
We left before the final band took the stage, grateful for the adventure and thankful for the journey we share together.

Family is not always easy. There are family members we choose and family members we do not. Every family carries its own stories, challenges, disappointments, and joys. Yet one of God’s greatest gifts is the opportunity to belong to one another and to grow together over time.

As I reflected on the drive home, I found myself thinking about the many ways this is true of the church as well.

The church is a family, not because we all think alike or share the same experiences, but because God has brought us together. Over time we learn one another’s stories. We celebrate birthdays and graduations. We grieve losses. We support one another through challenges. We watch children grow into adults and adults discover new callings. We rejoice as people become more fully who God created them to be.

One of the greatest blessings of ministry is having a front-row seat to that transformation.

This summer we journey through scriptures from Genesis and Matthew in our worship series, On the Way, may we trust God in the midst of change, promise, uncertainty, and becoming. And May hear God calling us all into new life as individuals, and as a family of faith.

See you in church!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kevin