Dear Friends…
I know that New Year’s is still a few months away—but the season of fall always feels like the start of the new year doesn’t it? Most of us can’t shake that back to school mentality no matter how many years we’ve been out of school or if we have school-aged kids around us or not. Maybe it has something to with the changing season. The shorter days and the cooler weather returns our focus from outward activities to inward projects and goals.
I have a longing this time of year to make a new list of resolutions: more trips to the gym, no snacks after 9:00 pm, daily journaling, call my parents more, etc.
Last January, I made a resolution to develop a regular yoga practice. Needless to say, no matter how many times I scheduled a yoga practice in of my fancy day planners, I always found a reason to put it off. I am no more flexible at the beginning of October than I was in January. Resolutions, like diets, tends to crash and burn a month or two in.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across the star word I chose during our Epiphany service. Remember? Each of us where invited to choose a word to reflect on through the year. The word I chose was “curious.” The word held for me a few challenges. Where had I become blasé about things that used to incite wonder? Where had I become closed off instead of open and inquisitive? Where had I become apathetic and disinterested in life and the world around me.
Instead of choosing some new resolutions or ways to disappoint myself this fall, I want to recommit to exploring curiosity? What is something new that I want to learn about this fall? Who do I want to get to know better? Where in Chicago do I want to go explore?
As we turn inward, what commitment to your commitment to yourself do you want to renew? What challenge do you want to re-engage with over the next few months? To learn to live out God’s wasteful love in the world around us, I think that we have to start by offering ourselves an oversized portion of it as well. Offer yourself some grace for the resolutions and goals and commitments that haven’t come to fruition and give yourself permission to start again.
Grace and namaste,
Rob
Join Us In Person For Worship
Please remember that weekly in-person worship services have resumed on Sunday mornings. This week, we are reflecting together on Jesus’ teachings about marriage and relationships in Mark’s gospel? How do we honor our covenantal relationships with those we love, with the communities we are a part of, as well as our covenantal relationship with ourselves?
Music will be led by CCW Music Director Winifred Brown, Carol Brigham, and pianist and vocalist Sam Krausz.
We are continuing to request that everyone wears a mask in the sanctuary during worship. To watch the service live online via Zoom, please click on the button below or go to our website at www.ccwilmette.org and follow the link at the top of the homepage.
Living and Serving Together
Committee of the Whole Meeting on Sunday, October 10th after Worship
As we continue talk about and make decisions about our ministry and our hopes for the future, we want to makes sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in these conversations. Instead of having monthly Church Council meetings, we will have monthly Committee of the Whole meetings so that anyone who is interested can participate. Our first meeting will be on Sunday, October 10th after worship. During these meetings, we’ll hear brief reports from the pastor, our treasurer, and team leaders and then spend time talking about the projects that Council has been considering, including rewriting our bylaws to better reflect our current membership and discussing our volunteer needs. Next week’s newsletter will include a link to the agenda for the meeting.
Interested in Joining a Covenant Group?
Anyone interested in joining or forming a Covenant Group is invited to meet with the Deacons on Sunday, October 17th after worship. We have a couple of active Covenant Groups that could expand to include a few more members or we could form a new Covenant Group so that everyone who would like to participate is able.
CCW Book Group
Pastoral Intern Anna Piela is currently coordinating a new gathering of the CCW Book Group. The first book we are going to read and discuss is Matt Haig’s memoir Reason to Stay Alive. The book is available in print, as an ebook, and as an audiobook from online sellers. If you are interested in participating, please email Anna this week at apiela@ccwilmette.org to let her know dates and times that work best.