Well, here we are experiencing yet another Monday of the quarantine months.
And while it doesn’t feel like it, the first day of Fall is officially on Tuesday! That means time for Pumpkin Spice everything.
And by everything…I actually mean…EVERYTHING.
Yes. I pulled out the all caps for that word. To give it the extra emphasis it needed to make my point.
And now that I said Pumpkin Spice and wrote the words, all that I want right now is a PSL in my hand…
So if you want to make me happy and earn extra points with Mr. Sunshine, bring me a PSL…
Please.
Kthanks.
Okies.
Time to officially move on to writing about this week’s blog topic.
Do you have your PSL? Your coffee? Your warm morning beverage and sweatshirt to cuddle with as the brisk breeze comes through the open windows?
Well good! Because, here we go!
The term silver lining is defined as the following:
-A sign of hope in an unfortunate or gloomy situation; a bright prospect.
Shootings.
Wildfires.
Natural disasters.
Violence.
Hatred.
Covid.
The list goes on and on.
There are so many things in this world around us that cause incredible fear, darkness, and uncertainty–entities that would definitely fall under the “unfortunate or gloomy situation” portion of the silver lining definition listen above that you just read.
I’m not sure how all of you feel, but I know for me there are days when it feels like a silver lining is out of reach–or frankly doesn’t even exist.
And for Mr. Sunshine, that is a heavy statement to write.
This past weekend, I got to be a part of the official installation service for Angela Hammer, who has become the official Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Penryn.
A monumental moment that hasn’t happened for our faith community in more than a decade–installing an official Pastor.
It was a silver lining.
The silver lining that restored some shine in my soul, light in my life, and faith in humanity.
Since the beginning of March, our faith community has been challenged to find ways to reach out to the surrounding world to uncover needs and to help meet those needs through creative ways of faith, love, kindness, and outreach.
This has been proven through our free food pantry outside the church building, homebuilt libraries at the church and surrounding community areas to encourage reading, discussions about social-challenging topics relevant to our daily lives, outdoor worship services, and multiple facets of educational resources for all ages via Zoom.
While I realize that religion is not everyone’s thing and that the church has gotten a “bad wrap” in the world–I promise you the community of faith at St. Paul Penryn is different.
We welcome ALL. We support ALL. And we find ways to meet the needs and be a beacon of hope to anyone regardless of their skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or social status.
We are a safe place.
A silver lining for those who may have lost their faith in the church.
There is no doubt that the times we are living in are dark and challenging for every single human on this Earth.
Our faith community could be just the type of silver lining you are looking for in your life.
The silver lining YOU need.
Or the silver lining that someone else in your life needs.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve struggled with the fact that the Christmas Eve service this year (my favorite one to plan) will not look the same as year’s past.
It is something that I start to plan in the early months of Summer as I listen to music samples for the choir, play through piano solo pieces, and come up with a theme that brings it all together.
It has been a tough emotional journey to grasp the reality that all of that will look different on December 24, 2020.
But, on the flip side, it also presents the silver lining and opportunity to think outside the box in respect to making a meaningful worship experience for the entire community to enjoy on Christmas Eve–one early service that will take place indoors and one later service that will take place outdoors.
How can you be a part of this silver lining?
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be looking for individuals who are willing to be a part of the service (one or both) in regards to special music whether it be via an instrument or voice.
Want to be a part of this experience? Please, please, PLEASE reach out to me and let me know. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved even if you are not musical.
Our faith community has an opportunity to create a silver lining with our Christmas Eve traditions this year for a world that is in great need of hope and light.
With the Fall season happening this week (tomorrow if you are reading this on Monday), the phrase and motto “turn over a new leaf” often gets thrown around.
So, please turn over that new leaf in your life and help our faith community meet the needs of the surrounding world by creating a silver lining that can be experienced and enjoyed by ALL.
Helping to create a silver lining for others could be silver lining you need.
Sprinkle sunshine always,
JP!
Mr. Sunshine Smiles 