Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,
I pray that this morning greets you with fresh energy for the day ahead! This week in particular I have been inspired by the way we as the Church are still called to be community, still called to be the very body of Christ, despite our current circumstances. The necessity of caring for one another in the name of Christ that is made so clear by the call to repent of the sin of racism and the way it infects our systems, the necessity of caring for one another in the midst of a wildfire, and the necessity of caring for one another with our actions during this pandemic have brought out a range of commitments. These commitments to care for one another, the image-bearers of God, are the commitments we pray we always have, but it is often in a crisis when things show in stark relief.

As we grow into this moment I have returned to one of my favorite books to give away-"Called to Community: The Life Jesus Wants for His People." It is a collection of essays by people who have lived in intentional Christian communities-residential or less so. One of the foundational essays is called "It Takes Work." Take a moment with some of these commands and descriptions of Christian life together:

The pictured page continues on the next page, which seem important to include:
Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Love one another from the heart (1 Peter 4:9)
Be hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Meet one another with humility (1 Peter 5:5)

The early Christians communicating across miles and cultures frequently refer to the calling to be for one another, as collated in these pages. Today's reading from Galatians 6:2 includes: "Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." As we grow and adjust and wrestle with this moment in our shared life, I am grateful for the ways you are being for one another - calling, offering hospitality when needed, bearing burdens, doing the often invisible work of support, committing to reconciling, to healing, to new life, even now.

In Christ who calls us to be for one another,
Mtr Taylor