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 “All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers".  –Acts 1:14

September has always been one of those “in between” months for me. School started weeks ago. The Fall Festival has finished. Long gone are those days of camp and summer trips. The air is beginning to cool a little after traditionally hot August days. Even when I was on Long Island,    September seemed hard to define. The leaves were just beginning to change. Traffic was heavier at 8am and 3pm as buses and parents shuttled the kids to and from school. Yet according to the calendar, it was still “summer” until September 22^nd.

We experience these kinds of “September” times in our own lives. There are times when it can be hard to pin down exactly who we are because of a change in life whether good or bad, expected or sudden. Sometimes the change is job related: like a lay-off, an entirely new career, or retirement. Sometimes the change is relational: perhaps a marriage, a divorce, a new child, or the death of a parent. We often go through changes in life that can change part of our identity.

We are in a kind of September as a church as well; that time of transition that comes whenever there’s a new pastor. We’re considering new ministry opportunities, like eating and worshiping together on the first Wednesday of the month. The Moms in Prayer group has started as women come     together to pray for our schools and kids on Tuesday afternoons. We’re talking about new ways to do adult ministry with bible studies, fellowship, and service. I got a chance to talk to some of you about these new opportunities at the Meet the Pastor evenings and continue to invite you to consider if there’s an outing or study you would like to lead or be part of. Let me know so we can find new ways to grow together as a church community.

Transition can seem scary and confusing as changes come. But ultimately, transition is good. Indeed, in some ways, we should always be in transition as a church. We should always be considering the validity of old ministries and the possibility of new ones. What are some new ways we can reach out to the surrounding community? How can we continue encouraging each other and welcoming new visitors and members? We should always be  discerning who we are and where we are; who we want to be and where we want to be.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to send the Holy Spirit. Yet the Spirit did not come immediately. Instead the apostles waited together in their time of transition. They talked about what needed to be done next. And they “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.”

Spending time together in prayer and discussion can help a lot in times of transition. Prayer helps direct us to God’s will for us. When we listen for God, read scripture, and pray together, then we can learn where God wants us to go and how God wants us to live.

Blessings and Peace,

 ~Pastor Annie





Pastor Annie McMillan