Notes From the Road

Dear Family and Friends of The Neighborhood Church,

The Psalmist wrote so many centuries ago: “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 96:1) Oh, we are, and we will! As you receive this note, my wife, Kristen, and I are on the road again…windows down…singing our favorites and learning some new ones, Our old dog, Joe, sometimes groaning and stirring. In between songs, we are feasting on some delicious road trip snacks reserved for just an occasion as this—passing the time, staying alert and awake. 

We’re on the way, bringing her car and Joe, to our new digs and this new chapter of our life together that lies ahead. And once we arrive, I put her on a flight home, and she’ll do it all again, this time with our final car and, more importantly, Lucy—having finally finished her last swim season in Minnesota. While on the road, we find ourselves ever-observant of our surroundings along the way, and focused not so much the destination, as on the journey. The road trip itself, along with the songs, becomes one way we deal with what’s in our rearview mirror, and any sadness, regrets, and gratitude for the blessings, friendships, and memories which lay there.

Have you ever done that?  I mean, been off to new things, with plenty of new songs to learn and enjoy?  Do you remember how that felt? We’re excited about whatever God holds in store for us, as we live into our new callings, and Lucy preps for becoming a college resident and learner and swimmer. We like to think that we know what to expect, and what God holds, yet realize that there will be a fair amount of newness in it all.

And don’t you love it when you hear a new song—one that lifts your spirit, and in which you find a bit of yourself and your story?  Better yet, when you’ve heard it so much that you learn it, and can sing along?  Loud, with the windows down, air flowing. It’s not only our old favorites that do that for us.  We discover along the way that “new songs” quickly become favorites too, and a part of our singing repertoire.

That’s the way it’s always been for God’s people. The Psalmist highly recommends it—good for the soul, they say. And so do I…

Summer Blessings!

Pastor Rick
Intentional Interim Minister