From the Pastor: The Happy Joiner

                Fourteen thousand steps. That is my goal each day. Three thousand steps walking my dog Izzy in the morning. Another five thousand during my afternoon walk. And then, there are the steps in between. It all adds up.  This is all part of a new health and weight loss program I am participating in through the PCUSA Board of Pensions and Teledoc. There are food logs to help me better understand what I am eating each day. There is also software that allows me to connect my scale and my Fitbit to the Teledoc app in order to streamline everything together. The best part is that I don’t have to do this alone. I have a health coach that I speak with every few months and nutritionist that monitors my food logs and gives me advice about new foods to try.  It also doesn’t hurt to have Izzy as an exercise buddy. Lab pups are always ready for a trek around the neighborhood. 

                Its surprising the difference a little help can make in reaching our goals. As the African proverb states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is true when it comes to reaching goals such as weigh loss. This is also true in our faith journeys. God called us to ‘congregate’ because he knew we needed each other. He also gave us his Spirit, to guide us when we lose our way.  While doing a Google search on productivity, the AI tool gave me the following information concerning ‘going alone’ verse ‘going together’. Apparently, success rates rise from 10% on your own to nearly 95% working together. By adding shared responsibility and accountability, the odds of success increase significantly. 

In the weeks following Easter Sunday we are reminded that God is always present in our lives. Jesus came to his disciples, showing him the gift of resurrection and new life and the promise of eternal life to those who believed in him. God’s ‘goodness and mercy’ as expressed in Psalm 23, further reminds us of God’s loving nature. God leads, comforts, prepares, and is ‘with’ the author and continues with him all the days of his life. The message of the Good shepherd also reminds us that we too are called to shepherd one another. 

                As we look around us today, it is apparent that healing is needed and that compassion and mercy are essential in building healthy communities. Author Marianne Williamson stated, “In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” In the weeks to come we will celebrate Jesus Ascension and the gift of the Spirit on Pentecost and are reminded again that this is not a solo journey. God is always present. 

I encourage you to think about the community you reside in and the relationships you are part of. How is your faith present in what you do?  Also, how can you show support in new ways? Be a happy joiner! God didn’t make us to live solitary lives or to work independently from one another.  As we are told in Matthew 18:20: “For wherever two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”