Introduction
I always get nostalgic this time of year. New beginnings do that; they create space for recollection and reflection on the journey we took to get where we are today. I’ve noticed it in my kids, too, who are so excited about their new teachers and classmates but also keep leafing through old yearbooks. Back to school shopping has invited surprising opportunities to notice growth: new shoe sizes provide a numerical value and the switch from wide-ruled to college-ruled notebook paper was a shockingly poignant hit. Without the requirement to be hyper-present that a new school year always brings, I’m afraid I might have missed out on noticing these shifts and celebrating where we are now.
At Vine and Branch we follow a rhythm that creates the space to notice. Each year during our annual Known series we take a few weeks to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed. Not just that, but we celebrate who we’ve been, who we are today, and who we’re becoming.
Join us this Sunday as we kick off our Known series. It won’t be the same without you.
Laura Holland and the Teaching Team
Text:
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
