Water-washed and Spirit-born

This was the last week of classes at LSTC so we had one sending service after another as we sent people to internship, to CPE (clinical pastoral education), to graduation, to retirement, to sabbatical, to many and various places, to summer...

In the midst of all these partings, we walked through the baptismal waters. We remembered together that we are washed as we go from here--whether we go far away or come back tomorrow, wherever we go. We go on this life journey singing:

Oh how deep your holy wisdom.
Unimagined, all your ways.
To your name be glory, honor.
With our lives we worship, praise.
We your people stand before you,
water-washed and Spirit-born.
By your grace, our lives we offer.
Recreate us; God, transform! -ELW 445

And in this time of saying goodbye, there was an opportunity for gratitude. I received a gift this week--a beautiful photo that one of our senior students took in Hong Kong of a place of prayer. This gift was a wonderful surprise, prodding me to be mindful of my deep thanks for this creative and dedicated servant-leader and so many people whose paths have crossed mine this past year. Thanks be to God who keeps recreating and transforming us.

In grace and gratitude,
Pastor Joy