“I have placed a rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.” Genesis 9:13

The Belman kids love to play in the rain. Like most children, they can’t wait to run outside and jump in muddy puddles following a good spring shower.  Of course, as the mama I sometimes just think about how much more muddy laundry they are creating! But this week I’ve tried to focus on the gift of the rain.

Following Tuesday afternoon’s thunderstorm, we walked the streets of our neighborhood, searching for the next puddle to splash in, watching the birds pecking the ground for fresh worms, and searching the sky for rainbows.  I came home and took a deep breath – the first deep breath I had taken since early that morning. And I made myself a cup of tea in my favorite mug that has a simple image and simple message “look for the rainbow.” 

There have been days where I’ve refused to put this mug in the dishwasher, opting to hand wash it instead. Just so it’s ready when I need to hold onto something that is comforting when so much about the world right now is simply not comforting. Do you have something like this that you turn to each day? A candle, a photo, a blanket, a prayer? And so this is my thought, as we prayerfully consider when we might be worshipping back in our sanctuary:  maybe we are being called to become more of a rainbow church? A church that blends many colors of worship! When we return to in-person worship, we continue to broadcast online. When we are online, we think of how that handwritten note might bring more color and more beauty to our celebration of God’s world – which is a good world and a world filled with possibility. When we’re walking or taking photos we think about how that walk, and those photos might become something to build a brighter and more beautiful worship service or engage a younger generation missing from our pews. And as we wait for the church that we do remember, we can also share these symbols of hope. My friends, we are traveling through a season that seems filled with Good Fridays, but as Christians we know that Easter will always arrive. It is as inevitable as a rainbow after a May rain.

In Christ’s love,
Pastor Julie