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There is a hymn that makes an impassioned plea to Jesus. The first verse of the hymn goes: "Pass me not O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by." The refrain goes on to say, "Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by."

I remember going to a lakeside retreat and getting in a boat to enjoy some fun in the water. I eventually decided to have fun by being while riding on a car tire inner tube that was tied to a rope and pulled behind the boat that I was in.

Last summer, one of my favorite fellowship ministries offered by our church was Wednesday outdoor movie nights. Deacon Wes built a giant screen with a painter's tarp and some 2 x 4s and set it up above the stairs in the back of the church so you could see it from far away. It was so much fun to gather together safely and enjoy movies!

Have you ever heard of the term "fictive kin"? "This idea is referred to as chosen kin, fictive kin or voluntary kin. Sociologists define the concept as a form of extended family members who are not related by either blood or marriage." (Wikipedia, 5.22.21) What do you think about those who you see as fictive kin in your life if any? I feel that we need to be more concerned about fictive kin and its meaning for us now more than ever before.

I have questions for you. How close are you to God? If you are not close to God, are you open to God's teachings? If you have a close relationship with God, what type of relationship is it? How does it manifest itself in your daily life? How do you see yourself in relationship to God, what type of believer are you?

I came across a quote that I thought was both true and sad at the same time and it stuck in my head. It goes like this, "It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright." from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1791. I have visualized an empty sack that was somehow able to move on its own power, trying to stand upright. It is a funny thing to imagine, and the more I thought about it the funnier my imaginings of it became.

What should we be considering that we need to focus on as we end the liturgical season of Easter this Sunday? Each year we have several Sundays to think, pray, and act upon God's word and then put it into practice. What have you taken away from these past Sundays where we celebrated and worshipped and put into practice?

Every now and then, while a seminarian, the admissions office would ask me to have lunch with a prospective student. I loved doing this! It was always neat meeting people and hearing what it was that was bringing them to seminary. Sometimes these conversations led to new connections and new classmates, and even the times it didn't, I often learned something.

Each year as the month of May begins, so too do many important celebrations in the lives of our young people. This month we honor our confirmands, Chapel Choir seniors, and all of our graduates as they prepare for the next stage of their lives.