- Margaret Wheatley

This quotation just showed up in my email inbox - a little serendipity to start the morning. Because, for me, gathering for worship at Oakton Elementary yesterday felt both a little confusing and a lot creative! A little confusing, yes. Do we turn right or left to find the auditorium? Where are the bathrooms again? And how are we going to fit eight string players, a pulpit and a projection screen on the stage? (The string players were fantastic, by the way: Andrea Michael's group Crescendo Music Education, whose members volunteer to tutor other high school youth who can't afford paid music lessons. Isn't that neat?)

But being at Oakton Elementary also felt a lot creative. A new space, different from what we're used to. We had to pack up all our stuff and take it over, traveling light. There was a sense of energy and fun ... to me, it felt very playful, like we were a little giggly and ready for anything. Something new. Roughing it a bit. A new perspective. As I listened to Eve's sermon about being open to change, I kept thinking, this actually feels a lot like summer camp! And the best part is that so many of us were able to "go to camp" together. Mary Katherine said it well: the congregation really is the people. Where we gather matters not so very much. What really matters are the people and the relationships that grow and deepen and last.

I hope we'll see you often over the summer. And, if your travels take you away for a time, may you discover just the right mix of confusion and creativity. Open to the not-knowing and see what new thing blossoms for you.
 

Warmly