A big thanks to everyone who attended worship yesterday on my first Sunday in the pulpit! It was a wonderful experience for my at both worship services and I'm looking forward to learning the names of everyone who I shook hands with at the reception. (If you have a name tag, I would certainly appreciate you wearing it for next few Sundays.)

I would love to get your feedback and comments about worship, sermons, or anything else that you want to share. These next few months will be a sort of "information gathering" time for me as I get to know the members, staff, and community on a deeper, more personal level.

Below is the quote I shared by Jean Vanier yesterday at the end of the sermon. Click on the links for more information about Jean Vanier and L'Arche.

...we can contemplate the risen body of Jesus,
a body that reveals the wounds inflicted upon him...
These wounds are there for all ages and all time,
to reveal the humble and forgiving love of Jesus
who accepted to go to the utter end of love.
The risen Jesus does not appear as the powerful one,
but as the wounded and forgiving one.
These wounds become his glory.

Jesus invites each one of us, through Thomas,
to touch not only his wounds,
but the wounds in others and in ourselves,
wounds that can make us hate others and ourselves
and can be a sign of separation and division.
These wounds will be transformed into a sign of forgiveness
through the love of Jesus
and will bring people together in love.
These wounds reveal that we need each other.
These wounds become the place of mutual compassion,
of indwelling
and of thanksgiving.

We, too, will show our wounds
when we are with him in the kingdom,
revealing our brokenness
and the healing power of Jesus.

- Jean Vanier, Commentary on the Gospel of John