As I write this, I am having some mint tea from the mint in my garden. Thirty years ago, as we began our journey to Seattle, our little family stopped at Laurel Ridge Moravian Church Camp along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a place that had grounded us both, and we wanted to bring a little of that grounding with us.
The top of the mountain was covered in wild mint. We quickly pulled a few sprigs, wrapped them in a wet paper towel, and spent the next five days driving, keeping that paper towel damp in the hope that it just might take root here, along with us. For years, I’ve had countless cups of tea from those few sprigs, and I’ve pulled many sprigs for others to have some of their own.
I share this with you because it reminds me how we are woven together not just as families or a church family, but as human beings connected as siblings in Christ. Countless kids and adults have no doubt walked across that mountain top, through those fields of wild mint, and it brings me joy to see it flourishing in my own yard. The look and smell of it still takes me back to those days as a teenager when my faith and my call were being formed.
This summer, as we gather in one another’s homes and enjoy snacks or a meal together, my prayer is that we might listen deeply to those stories that formed each of us, the stories of how it is we came to be together in this time and place. Listening to your stories, seeing pictures and the occasional family bible, are always a gift to me when I visit with you. It reminds me that God has been preparing you for this season we share now for all your lives, as God is still preparing us.
We are not only woven together as people but as journeys. Starting on Sunday, July 9, we will begin our second summer sermon series on sabbath. As we unpack God’s Word together, I also pray we can share in sabbath rest with one another. Sharing in sabbath is a good way to slow down and honor the stories of our lives with one another.
I encourage you to reach out to Nancy Tucker and let her know if you would like to host one of our summer gatherings — and do plan to attend one or more of them in person. Bring the stories of your journey as we sit around together and let us relax and trust in the Divine Weaving for such a time as this.
Grace and Peace,
Leigh
