Pastor’s Pen
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Goodbye 2021 and hello 2022. For me, this is as much a relief as it is exhausting. 2021 was a challenging year, but I want to pick up some of the good things that have happened over the past year. It was a year of extraordinary invention with the development and approval of a vaccine in record time and nearly 8.5 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered globally. In the Netherlands, “Bee Hotels” helped the bee population remain stable despite several years of decline. NASA’s Perseverance Rover successfully converted some of Mar’s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen. United Airlines flew the first aircraft passenger flight with 100-percent sustainable fuel. The “Ever Given” got stuck in the Suez Canal—putting the world’s supply lines on pause—only to be freed six days later. Perhaps the best news for our New Year’s diets, scientists revealed that there is almost no evidence that cheese causes weight gain! Cheese lovers rejoice! So much has happened over the course of this heavy and challenging year, but as I sit here on the verge of the New Year, I remain encouraged and steadfast in Advent hope. Before we get to our new year’s resolutions, let’s look back at our last year together.
Corvallis UMC began the year with the Reverend Berry Pagent. He gracefully navigated Zoom, virtual worship, and parking lot worship. He was a careful steward for this church. He kept us together, reminded us of the grace of God, and was a beacon of hope. Berry memorably celebrated Easter with us. He imagined, planned, and rejoiced with us as we returned to in-person services in June. Do you remember the moment you returned to in-person worship? Do you remember what it felt like to finally gather and worship with your church family? I can imagine that that was a moment of overwhelming joy that won’t soon be forgotten. Following the return to in-person worship our church said a bittersweet goodbye to Pastor Berry. With hearts full of gratitude and a hint of sadness this church family celebrated and thanked him for the great work he had done.
As our church said goodbye to Pastor Berry, Corvallis UMC anticipated the arrival of Emma and I. Emma and I were not native Montanans or Westerners. In fact, we had never been to Montana before! We hailed from the Great Lakes state, Michigan, and made our way across the country from the Garden state, New Jersey. We stopped in Dearborn, Michigan; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Dickinson, North Dakota; and Butte, Montana. I remember arriving the weekend of the 50-mile garage sale and being surprised at how many people we saw! We arrived at our new home overwhelmed by pantries and fridges fully stocked and welcomed by a crew of helpers ready and willing to unload our moving truck. I could not believe how welcoming, kind, and friendly everyone at the church was.
Since those first weeks, much has happened. July was an exciting month. I celebrated my first Sunday of in-person worship since the start of the pandemic, and we opened the Youth Center for the return of Fellowship Hour! Bible studies resumed and we held many small group gatherings. Together we have studied 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, James, Hebrews, and the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. We have mourned together the loss of our loved ones and pastor Shannon Mayfield. We have celebrated answers to prayer, miraculous healings, and God’s steadfast presence with us. We have challenged ourselves to further utilize Zoom, Facebook, YouTube, and online spaces as ways to stay connected and to better reach our neighbors. We remain connected with each other through the weekly rhythms of worship and in partaking Holy Communion together. We are vitally involved in our neighborhoods with Loads of Dignity, SAFE, Haven House, Community Meals, and more. The Spirit of God is active in our congregation renewing our hearts and giving us the strength to endure challenging times.
As we enter 2022, I am confident of the Spirit’s work in our midst. Despite all that has been and is going on in our world, I remain confident in God’s everlasting promises to us. I remain confident in the work and role of the church in our communities. My prayer for us this New Year is that we would remain connected to ourselves, to each other, and to God. May God bless you as we celebrate the end of 2021 and welcome with open arms the new possibilities of 2022.
