Lenten Blessings, Friends,
Welcome! I’m excited to introduce to you today, the new Friday email format. It includes the Family Worship information that was once a separate mailing on Thursday. We would love to hear your feedback!
Our Junior Warden, Jan DeBlieu and our assistant rector the Rev. Katie Holicky led the Vestry in a visioning exercise at the end of January. They helped us create a silent space (this was all done on Zoom as the blizzard raged outside!) to consider our future as we live in hope that the pandemic fades.
I’d like to share with you the questions they asked us to imagine. I invite you to consider for yourself how much has changed for the better (believe it or not!). And to consider your own longings for our life together as you read these questions in a time of quiet. You could record these questions on your device and play them as you sit quietly.
“As you arrive into the stillness with your eyes closed, you are invited to imagine…

• It is some unknown time in the future, things have shifted and we have moved away from the time of pandemic precautions into whatever comes next.
• You are at church.
  • Take a moment to notice where you are in our beloved building…What space are you in? What are you surrounded by? What do you see around you?
  • What does the air feel like? What do you taste or smell?
  • What are you doing? Are you chatting, eating, worshiping, working on a project, in a particular group or ministry team?
  • What does it feel like for your mind, body, and spirit to be doing the thing you are doing as you let your mind dream?”

Thank you, Katie and Jan for this exercise. You helped the Vestry imagine a vision for our community. The questions help us imagine our future and are such a good personal exercise for Lent.  What do you imagine our life together will be like spiritually and physically?  And then, please do email anything that you’d like me and our leadership to know. carolyneklund@stpaulsmaine.org; stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org.
It does seem that the severity and infectiousness of COVID once again is in decline. That gives us hope. But it also reminds us of how far we’ve come, how resilient we are and how our imaginations have been opened to dream for our future at St. Paul’s. The Future Planning Committee is helping our leadership consider changes in our precautions, and we are planning to invest in a more reliable, better quality of digital live stream worship. I’m eager to share with you more details soon.
Your friend in Christ,
Carolyn +