Summertime and Change

It is always exciting to move into our summer schedule. We gather as one community for worship at 9:30 am on Sundays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. Folks from the early service get to sleep in a little and those at the late service get started with their day a little earlier. It is also a change, a change that we anticipate. It is a change that we are able to deal with because we are prepared for it.

As we look to our future together this is what we are going to attempt to do with our Visioning Process. We will attempt to prepare ourselves for a change in how we are called to do God's work here in Bothell and on the Northshore of Lake Washington.

On Saturday, May 19, leaders from First and Northlake Lutheran along with members of the Chinese Ministry met to begin the conversation about our future together. What became clear in our conversations is the desire to honestly be good stewards of the gifts God has given us. I was struck by the comment from one of the members of the Chinese Ministry who said, "God is sending us a wake up call!" We all agreed that God is indeed blowing her Holy Spirit through our congregations.

The question becomes, "Are we ready and willing to follow the Holy Spirit?"

With all that is going on in our community, whether it is homelessness or affordable housing, the opioid epidemic or mental health, or any number of other issues, are we ready to follow the Holy Spirit into these issues? The answer around the tables was an earnest yes, with the help of God and also in partnership with each other.

We do not know where we are going to end up, but already your leadership is enjoying the ride. We hope that you will be ready to answer the call when it comes to join us in this conversation.