Reflections

I woke up the other day and heard a bird singing in the backyard of the parsonage. It was one of those birds that you hear a lot in the summer, but I had never heard one singing in February! Much less singing all by itself! Seemed kind of lonely but I said a little prayer that the little warbler (not sure what kind) would soon be joined by many, many more friends and neighbors in the bird family.
 

That solo singing bird reminded me of ‘all the lonely people’ that the Beatle’s sang about in their song, ‘Eleanor Rigby.’ Where do they all belong? is the refrain, repeated several times to a mournful melody.
 

In February, the cold and the germs and the darkness make it hard to ignore the fact that a lot of people are feeling a gap in their social and even family connections. My prayer is that the Lexington UMC can be an antidote for that gap…a gathering place, perhaps, for those seeking the warmth of conversation and relationship and fun.
 

Right now, we have 2 different Exercise groups, 4 days a week using our Fellowship Hall and it is absolutely heartwarming to watch and hear them greet each other. Some of the exercise is strenuous enough

to bring on a period of silence but eventually, the chatter and the laughs and the smiles come out to play as well.
 

Sometimes we have Mah Jongg players sitting intently around the library table on Monday nights. There’s a Book Club that comes by periodically to get all literary with each other. Even an Investment Club

has used our building for their high stakes decision making. I just have to wonder: What would it be like if that kind of companionship could be possible at our building more often? With more people? With neighbors & strangers?

The C3 program would call my question…an imaginative leap. An activated possibility. The subject of possible, holy ‘purpose discernment.’ Maybe it’s even the seed of an idea for us and the days and seasons ahead for our Church. What do you think? Do you have groups that you would like to invite to use the church building for an occasional gathering? Is there a speaker you would like to hear or a subject that you would like to learn more about? What does your heart and mind and spirit yearn for in relation to ‘Gathering’ with friends and neighbors and even strangers?

Who knew that a single, solo singing bird could lead to so many seeds of ideas for Lex UMC? Seeds that are newly planted in the dark times, just waiting to crack open, put down roots and break the

surface as flowers and plants and possibilities. Makes me think of another song, ‘The Rose’ by Amanda McBroom. ‘Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow. Lies a seed that with the Son’s love, in the Spring, becomes a Rose.’ Let’s think and talk and pray about helping God grow Roses this year at Lexington UMC as New life, Easter life approaches.

Happy dreaming to us all…In the Name of Jesus, who was mistaken for a Gardner before being,
 

Pastor Geri