August 1, 2025
On Saturday, I am officiating a wedding of a wonderful young couple. The groom is one of my son Aidan's life-long friends, so I've known him since he was in elementary school. The bride is a lovely young woman who I've known since they were all friends in high school. They are grounded, capable, and ready for this next step. What a delight!
This Saturday is also my own 28th wedding anniversary. (William’s too, go figure!) It feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago that we were that young couple, stepping onto our path in faith.
Life holds so much that we cannot foresee. We make plans and promises, we carry hopes and expectations, and then life unfolds. For each of us, life has moments that are beautiful and are difficult. Some seasons bring joy, anticipation, and abundance. Others bring worry and struggle, or loss and grief. Sometimes life require us to pivot, to let go, or to keep going when we feel least able.
One of the greatest gifts of a community like Saint Anne's is that we don’t walk these seasons alone. We are surrounded by people in all stages of life, each carrying their own story, and bearing witness to the stories of others. Some are embracing exciting changes even while others are navigating illness or grief. Some are in the thick of parenting while others are adjusting to quieter homes. Some are making big changes while others are waiting for clarity, or for healing. And through it all, we are here with one another; sharing wisdom, sharing heartbreak, sharing potlucks, sharing hope. Gathered, sustained, and held by a faithful God who walks with us through it all until we are welcomed home.
After our joyful Saint Anne’s Day and Member Welcome last week, and as I prepare to officiate a wedding and celebrate my own anniversary, I am especially mindful of the strength and comfort that come from being part of a community like this. It is a place where we hold space for one another with grace.
My prayer for us this week is that we continue to be a community that shows up for each other, and gently reminds one another, again and again, that even when the way ahead is uncertain or painful, we are never alone. God goes before us, beside us, and behind us, and we are held, too, by the presence of the Divine in each other. It is such a gift.