Dear Church family,

Lately, I’m feeling like I’ve left more undone than I should have. That line in our confession always gets me – it is the things left undone that haunt me – and I have a list every week of what has been left undone. In the past, so called “ordinary times”, I would have said that I’m just not doing enough. Enough of my volunteer work. Enough for my family. Enough to make the world a better place.  And now, in many ways, we’re called to leave more undone, or at least seemingly do less.  

On the other hand, I’ve been talking with my favorite friends from college, twice a week, for an hour each time. (We haven’t talked this much this regularly since graduation and it is glorious!) I’m texting and talking more often and more in-depth with local friends than I ever have. My family is having Zoom calls with my parents more frequently than we used to see them. That’s not “undone.” In some ways, we are taking better care of each other now than we did before.

And yet I still have the feeling that with respect to our church family, I am (as your warden), and we are (as a community), leaving too much undone. We haven’t yet built in the ways, the structure, of regular communication and checking in on each other. Yes, Vestry is going to start our listening tour by contacting every member of the congregation but that’s not quite it. We need fellowship; it is essential to our well- being as humans and our identity as people of God. How are we taking care of each other now that we don’t have regular check-ins at the peace and at coffee hour? Would you use Zoom or another service for virtual coffee hour? Or is there something else that would help fill your need for fellowship? 

Please contact me at wardens@christchurchwaltham.org to let me know what we can do to help you feel connected to our church family.

This week, I’d like you to join me in praying for those who are alone:

Almighty God, whose Son had nowhere to lay his head: Grant that those who live alone may not be lonely in their solitude, but that, following in his steps, they may find fulfillment in loving you and their neighbors; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

From BCP, page 820

May we all feel God’s peace.

Christine Dutt, warden