Friends,
Ben and I had such a marvelous vacation this summer. We spent 15 days in Europe, revisiting some of my favorite cities from when I lived abroad out of college. I expected nostalgia, a flood of old memories. What surprised me was how much had changed. Streets I once walked daily felt different, cafés had closed, familiar landmarks were surrounded by new buildings, and what used to be a cash only economy had so many credit cards (and even cell phone apps) to order and pay for things.
I’ll admit, it was bittersweet. I found myself grieving. The “Europe” I remembered is no longer there in quite the same way. It reminded me that grief is not only for death—it is also for change. Whenever something shifts, whether it’s a neighborhood, a congregation, or our own bodies and lives, part of us mourns what was.
But I also realized that these changes are not bad. They are signs of life, growth, adaptation. The grief I felt was a reminder that I had loved that earlier time and place deeply. I mean, I have evolved and changed in the 10 years since I was there. As much as I wish I could freeze it in time and go back to that phase of my life, I am grateful that these cities I love are also evolving and meeting the needs of a new world and a new generation.
The same is true for our church community. We’ve been through many seasons of change: in our ministries, in our leadership, in our routines and rhythms, in the faces we see each week. Change always carries grief. There are people and things we will always miss. But change also carries hope. It means God is still at work, reshaping us, calling us forward, and making all things new.
As we keep walking this road together, may we give ourselves permission to grieve what has passed—and also to embrace with hope and joy the new things being born.
May we love one another as God loves us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Zach
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