When I lived in Honduras after college, I discovered the mimosa plant. This is not a plant that amazingly grows the brunch-time beverage; rather, it is extraordinary for another reason. I discovered it one afternoon while lounging on the lawn of the school at which I taught. There, taking a break from teaching middle school religious education class and before my junior year psychology class, I noticed a plant do the most extraordinary thing—it reacted to my touch. The leaves of the mimosa plant shrivel up, closing their tiny leaves, at the slightest touch of an aggressive insect or, in my case, the touch of a human hand. Nearby mimosa plants started to close their leaves, as if one communicated to the other. Humans are just now coming to terms with the reality that plants have hidden lives. They react to touch, communicate with one another, and even feel pain. We have much to come to terms with when it comes to the interconnectedness of all life on earth.
This weekend, we begin our annual pledge campaign to fund the ministry of our parish for the year ahead. Our campaign is called Rooted Together. The image of tree roots going deep into the ground in search of nutrients and water is a metaphor that many of the writers of the Old Testament use to talk about our life with God and one another. Life in community is a rooted life, sustained by that which gives us life and helps us grow.
This Sunday, we will begin our campaign, Rooted Together, and we invite you to plant yourself deeply into our life together here at Epiphany. Following the 10:00 am service, we will celebrate together with Ciderfest (cider and cider donuts), I'll share some about our campaign (a short talk, nothing long, I promise!), and then have the opportunity to be nurtured together in fellowship, or by joining the Newcomer Coffee Hour, or heading upstairs to the J2J gathering.
On November 3, after a wonderful All Saints' service, we will host a simple lunch in Hadley Hall, where we will have a more informal space to discuss our parish life and the budget for the year ahead. Then, on Sunday, November 17, we invite everyone to Commitment Sunday, where we will turn in our pledges or commit to continue to discern how we can give to our shared mission.
There is much to be grateful for and certainly one of the great blessings of this life is being rooted together here at Epiphany. It is an immeasurable gift to share life together here, to be rooted in one another, and know that all is rooted in God.
See you Sunday,
Nick
