When I was growing up, and I was looking for extra spending money, my parents would give me a can full of coins, let me roll them, and exchange them at the bank. The hardest to roll were the pennies! There were plenty of them, perhaps more than any other coin, but the return was small. You could roll fifty pennies, and you still couldn’t buy anything from the drink machine.
Value is often placed on large sums, but this is not always the case. We also find value in the small tasks of each day. They can go unnoticed, or even feel tedious, but they are life-giving! It is checking in with our loved ones, watering the plants, sharing about our day at dinner, preparing lunch, or giving a high-five to a child.
As we enter the fall, we will share many small, life-giving tasks from singing hymns to celebrating milestones. We have offered our prayers for our children and youth as they begin another school year, blessing their backpacks and giving them Bibles. We will welcome college students back to town on August 17, as we prepare dinners for them on Tuesdays. We will gather on Thursdays and share about our week around the table, connecting with each other. These, along with other small moments, are life-giving to us!
Along with our gatherings on Thursdays, I will continue the podcast, which Chad Parish helped start last year. The Midweek Reflections, which we video recorded last year, became a podcast, Creating Sacred Space in Our Lives. It can be found on Apple’s Podcasts, and a link is also located on the church’s website.
On Thursdays this fall, we will talk about the life and ministry of Fred Rogers, who hosted the famous television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He was an ordained minister, advocate for children, and accomplished musician. Running parallel with our Thursday gatherings, the podcast will follow the same theme. For those who are unable to join us on Thursdays, you can follow along on the podcast. Each Thursday reflection will be released the following Monday on the podcast.
In the midst of large concerns and persistent problems, we find solace and strength in small, life-giving tasks. They invite us to see God’s grace around each and every corner. This does not solve the larger problems, and on certain days, it can feel like rolling coins; but it balances our attention, pointing out the opportunities for goodness and grace!
-Tripp