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Once Upon A Time, a princess packed all of her worldly belongs into a carriage to live in a kingdom by the Bay. She traveled down the coast and settled in a village within the kingdom that was both rich and stained with history. She dwelt in a castle within the court and learned of the village’s customs and traditions, which she soon made her own. Then suddenly, a terrible curse befell the land, forcing all to flee to the safety of their homes. This totally bummed everyone out as they had to figure out life together while apart until the curse could be broken. The princess and her knights held meetings at the royal roundtable to determine how to keep the villagers safe as they weathered the storm.
​If you hadn’t noticed, my dear Congregation, I love a good fairytale. However, most of the fairytales I’ve read resolve in some semblance of a happy ending. Life, however, isn’t a Disney inspired story filled with singing furniture and helpful animals that guide our way. I mean, I know that God is always with us, but I can’t help wonder “what the Hell is going on?” It’s been exactly one year since I left Upstate New York behind in my rearview mirror to embrace a new Call here in Gloucester, Virginia. I was excited to embark on this new adventure with you all as our future together looked very bright. Unfortunately, none of my Seminary courses prepared my class for what seems to be the end of the world with fires raging, storms destroying, and civil unrest ripping across our nation. Add on a Pandemic, we’ve got ourselves a hot mess of a year, and our vision for 2020 isn’t looking as clear. Still, life goes on, and we endure with care for ourselves and our community as we wait for the curse to be broken. Perhaps this Call didn’t start out the way any of us thought it would; that seems the be the theme of this new decade. Take heart and gird your loins, because life doesn’t stand still even for a moment. We’ll make it through this; here are some events to look forward to this October.
We will have our Animal Worship on Sunday, October 4th, so make sure to include your dogs, cats, iguanas, and parakeets that morning. Our Council will be meeting with Pastor John Wertz on October 10th for our first Council Retreat. I will be attending the Gathering of the Ministerium via Zoom from October 12th to October 13th. We will be celebrating Reformation Sunday with a collaborative sermon between myself and Pastor Adam Schultz, and October 31st is my Ordination Anniversary. Please email me the pictures and names of your deceased loved ones for our All Saints Sunday video that I will be making by Wednesday, October 28th. I will resume Pastoral Care at the Pink House when I return from my Staycation on October 4th. In the meantime, stay well and remember that our God loves us all now and forever.

In God’s Abiding Love,
Pastor Jeniffer Tillman, M.D.