Signs, signs, everywhere signs…I mean this literally, we are about to have signs almost everywhere on our campus. If you have driven by the church in the last few days, you’ve seen the newly finished beautiful monument sign and the parking entry signs. There will be other new signs around campus that will make it easier to navigate our spaces. This is a sign that there is still much going on at Holy Spirit, even in the time of Covid, and when we come back together we will be even stronger!

In order to continue growing in our ministry, both on campus and around Houston, we need your support. If you missed the Stewardship video on Sunday, you can see it below. There are so many ways we are all in this together. Holy Spirit has gone to every extent to keep our community connected during this pandemic. We have also reached a wider audience through our online offerings which has allowed our church to continue to grow. Our outreach to the community has continued and we have found new creative ways to serve our neighbors. Our new signs are just one way that we are seeking to let everyone know that there is a place for them here at Holy Spirit where we all find respite for our souls and assurance of God’s love for us. While this is sometimes a difficult message to find out in the world, we are making it easier to be found here.

This Sunday we have a special treat for you that will be shared during the virtual 10:30 service announcements…I want to tell you all about, but it is a surprise. All I can say is that, since we are all in this together, I hope you will join us Sunday morning to see what it is! If you decide to attend in person worship at 9 in the church or at 3 on the field (which we will be offering every Sunday as long as weather permits), we will make it available after Sunday morning’s virtual service.

Surprising someone is the best. The surprise we brought you this past Easter with the bulb, candle, and confetti and the “I am loved and missed by Holy Spirit Episcopal Church” yard signs were an outpouring of God’s encouragement and inspiration. I think the experience of being surprised with goodness is such an essential part of the Christian faith. What a surprise that we have a God who created everything and created us out of the simple and complete desire to be in relationship with us and love us.

I once heard that the finest rug makers in the world always intentionally place a mistake in every rug. They know that they are so good at making rugs that there is a temptation to feel perfect through their craft. Their mistake is an intentional proclamation that no one is perfect except God. I often think of these rug makers when mistakes are made. In fact, I have come to take peace and joy from my mistakes. Imperfection points to the dynamic nature of life and our need of God’s perfect love.

This week, I was blessed to be the “Mystery Reader” for my daughter’s class for which I read Dragons Love Tacos. I have spent a lot of time on Zoom these last several months with both great and challenging moments, but this opportunity was a true highlight. I got to see their little faces up close to their cameras as they looked closely at the pictures in the book. I loved enjoying Dragons Love Tacos anew through their enthusiastic interest.

Sarah and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this week and as I reflected on all the ways we have grown together over almost a decade and a half it is mind boggling to recall the multitude of experiences, events, changes, and chapters we have shared. Neither of us are the same people we were when we got married and yet the continuity of our story is persistent. Everything seems to logically have led to where we are today. Most changes were unexpected, and most were better than we could have chosen for ourselves. To God be the glory!

This week my daughter graduated from Kindergarten.  It is a strange thing to have graduation in September, but then again, this is not a normal year.  We will have the Blessing of the Animals this Sunday in an unusual way and Trunk or Treat will be a bit different on October 25th, but we are holding fast to some of our community traditions so as to continue to create space to stay connect, grow in community, and deepen our connection to God.  Through our Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack program, we continue to do the good work of feeding small children all over this city every weekend, something you can sign up to help with HERE. We have allowed creativity and vision to focus our attention and energy on the ongoing work of God in our lives and in the world.

During this pandemic, my family has spent more time outside than ever before. Sarah and I made a ritual of having our morning coffee on the front porch and our family took daily walks on the bayou or in the Edith Moore Bird Sanctuary. Even in the heat, we had dinner on the back porch almost every evening. We played hours of driveway basketball and took a short vacation to rural Arkansas for hiking and a change of scenery. We even went to a drive through petting zoo to surprise the kiddos. All that to say that we have been exposed to more wildlife (and maybe not so “wild” life at the petting zoo) in the last six months that ever before.

It is interesting how the experience of a routine is different from how every day felt exactly same during lock down. These last few weeks have involved getting kids ready for school, me going to work either in person or from home, and routine evenings. I believe the difference must have to do with knowing at least nominally what to expect. The day has rhythm and weekdays are different from weekends…and Sunday morning will have a more tangible impact on the demarcation of time and weekly routines.