November 12, 2020
Dear Calvary,
As you are reading this, Matt and I are moving out of our apartment into a bigger place (I mean that literally- it's happening today). I've spent the last couple weeks packing our life into boxes. Molly and Mary Todd have done their part by hopping into every single box I put together and deflating all my bubble wrap with their claws.
While moving is never a fun process, we are very excited to move into our new place. I'm pretty sure that you have seen nearly every inch of our apartment during filming for virtual worship. I even sacrificed my dignity for y'all and filmed myself right when I woke up for a "praying the hours" segment. Soon you will start seeing parts of our new home and I look forward to showing you around.
As we have prepared to move, I have reflected quite a bit on this little happy home we are saying goodbye to. There are many things I won't miss about our little apartment, but I think of a quote from the final episode of the television show, The Office. It comes from the character Creed Bratton, who says "No matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place home." And Creed, despite being one of the odder and most dishonest characters on the show, hits the nail right on the head. He was talking about making a workplace feel like home, but human beings do have this funny ability to make any place feel like home. During this pandemic, I have come to realize how Calvary was my second home, and how much I miss it. When I am at church once a week to record, I often find myself taking in the peace of the space and drinking it in. I can stare at the stained glass in the chapel for hours. I like looking at the rainbow light on the sanctuary pews if I'm there in the early morning or afternoon. I stare forlornly at the empty Fellowship Hall, hoping for the day we can have gatherings in there.
As Matt and I prepare to leave the apartment we've called home for two and a half years, I invite you to reflect on those little pockets of home in your life. For me, it's my parents' house, my in-laws' house, Calvary, and different coffee shops around Denver where I've written sermons. What are those places of home you miss going to during this time? This pandemic has made us appreciate the things we took for granted. Today as we move into a new home, I am giving thanks for the many places that feel like home, which includes you, Calvary.