My Dear Sisters and Brothers at Christ Church,
For the last few weeks I've been in the United Kingdom, playing tourist with my wife and kids, and attending my cousin's wedding. See the photograph of Holly and I dressed up in our English country finery! She looks like she's ready for Pentecost and I might be the Madhatter. For so many reasons, we had a delightful time: Holly and the kids and I reconnected and bonded; we spent a lot of time with my brother's family exploring London; not only was the wedding great fun with wild dancing, but we got to visit with family from across the world and meet my cousin's wife's wonderful people; we went to castles! and I got to walk and walk and walk. On my own I had two fabulous church experiences: For my birthday I took a solo audio-tour of Westminster Abbey, where I mostly admired the Gothic architecture and graves of everybody who's anybody in English history. I also snuck out for evensong at little Brecon Cathedral in Wales. A spectacular choir was visiting from Oxford and the service was sublime.
This trip reminded me just how much I love adventures: culturally, spiritually, socially and in wilderness. I had also forgotten just how much I enjoy dancing with my wife -we had so much fun together out on the floor! All of this travel reminded me just how much I appreciate my home and my people. Despite the time change, it's been wonderful to come home and find the rhythm of life at Christ Church, to walk my own neighborhood with my kids and dog, and to remember how much I love this community. I'm grateful for the chance to get away, but I feel even more blessed to come home to California and Christ Church. I look forward to sharing more stories with all of you. May God bless you.
Peace,
Stephen