Sundays in the sanctuary are different from how they were before the pandemic. We’re in masks, and the windows are open and there is air flowing through fans. Our children are with us upstairs and they bring a joyful – and sometimes loud – noise to our gatherings. We aren’t singing, but can hum along, maybe even mouth words behind our masks to feel just a little more like it used to be.

Have you thought of coming on a Sunday morning but didn’t register? Our in-person attendance is a good deal lower than what our guidelines allow, so it’s nearly certain that if you find yourself wanting to come on a Sunday, there’s going to be room for you to be there. We’d love to see you! Y’all come!

As we (I hope) ease into summer, it’ll be possible for us to gather at Wapato Park after services again to give some of us an opportunity to reconnect face to face. That’ll include an after-church potluck picnic one Sunday in July. I’m already planning what I’ll make to bring along, and looking forward to a summer afternoon when we can share a meal.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Beach time? Time hiking in the mountains? Maybe it’s just having the windows open with a soft, warm breezed flowing through the living room or bedroom.

I’m already loving the long evenings that we’re having as we inch toward the summer solstice, grateful to wake up with light coming in around the blinds and curtains, and so very thankful for the sunlight that pours through the blinds next to the desk where I work at home. It’s coming in as I type this, and it helps my shoulders relax and my breath to deepen.

Whatever late spring and early summer is bringing to you, I hope it does the same for you.  And I hope to see all y’all soon, too.

Linda