Dear Church Family,

We are discovering that making a major move like ours at this stage of life involves  a lot of letting go.  We are moving into a small two bedroom apartment considerably smaller than our current house.  This involves getting rid of more than half of our furniture and other possessions.

Our long standing conviction  is that life is not about stuff.   It still is and getting rid of stuff is a tangible expression of that core belief.  But still we discover that so much of our life history is told  in the things we have.   Our furniture largely came from generations of family, and reminds us of special times in our past.
Pictures on the wall and artifacts of  various kinds were purchased on trips or were gifts from valued people.  Photos and assorted schoolwork chronicle our children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Clearing out file cabinets of articles and talks, sermon manuscripts, and notes from classes I have taught provided a nostalgic journey through my life’s work. Inscriptions on books we were given are humbling and touching.  We know we cannot take it all but it is tough to part with unsuspected treasures.

What has struck me is that the stuff of our lives is often a window into the relationships which are the  heart of our lives, relatives and friends and church members who may have joined the communion of saints, but who still  shape us.

It has made the process less painful, indeed even joyful, to be giving away much of our “stuff”—furniture and books and art work and
treasured artifacts that filled our house.   It gives us much satisfaction to know many of those items we have so enjoyed will be well used by others.  It gives us joy to think some of our possession will grace the homes of friends we know and cherish. Letting go is not so bad.

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. The Old Testament reading is Deuteronomy 30:15-30. The New Testament lesson is the story of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-24.  The sermon is “When We Go Astray.”

Ten of our church family took part in the CROP walk.  A picture is attached.  You can still give to our coordinator, Tracy Atwood, or online http://tiny.cc/CROP-WALK-NWCT. We’ll give a full reporting next week.

See you in church--
Rich