Gathered From the Four Winds

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:30-31

General Convention begins tomorrow morning with worship. The church is gathered from the four winds, from the wide expanse of our church, to pray, deliberate, and to seek God's direction for us all. We are a diverse and complicated people, facing challenging times together. We can all wonder if these are end times, what with climate change, violence everywhere, and radical losses of human rights. We are invited to be one body together, to lean in and seek renewal together. The Creator seeks mending and healing at all times, and love will be our road forward. We need each other more than we need to be right.

Great Creator, you breathe the world into being

and gather us from far flung places to be your people

may we be honored to be among our siblings here

and make every word and action one of mending.

Let these times be the beginning of our renewal

a time when the broken hoops are mended

and our circle is made strong again in your love. Amen.