Dear members and friends of Briarwood, This past Sunday we had the privilege of sharing together in the Lord's Supper. It was odd to do so online, but I know that it was meaningful for many of us. In the everyday stuff of bread and wine we entered the mystery of Christ's presence with us. This time, interestingly, we were hosted by Christ and nourished by Him in our own homes. Surrounded by familiar pictures on our walls, in our tidy (or messy!) living room, with a half-read book flopped open nearby, and other browser tabs opened to things of interest to us, Christ came to bless and strengthen us. I have always been astonished by the story of the shipwreck of Paul and his companions in Acts
Dear members and friends of Briarwood, This past Sunday I invited you to explore Psalm 130 in the week ahead. This has always been a powerful Psalm for me. It is particularly verses 5 and 6 that have always been especially meaningful—and they are meaningful in this hard time of waiting we are in. "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Of course we are not only a people who wait—we continue to live and serve and relate and grow in these days. We don't want to wish our lives away. Yet at the same time we wait for an end to a difficult and disrupted period
Dear members and friends of Briarwood, Over this past weekend, as the sun came out and as the temperatures warmed, it was difficult to miss what was happening with the trees. As I looked into our backyard and down our street, I almost thought I could see the buds opening in real time. It wasn't exactly an explosion, but moment by moment I felt I could discern the greening of the world around me. It was encouraging and beautiful. As we transition so noticeably into a new season (Spring!) we are invited to remember and acknowledge God's faithfulness in all seasons. The Psalmist says that it is good "to declare God's steadfast love in the morning, and God's faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92). Pe
