The Roots that Keep Us Grounded

​Written by Nate Crary, Director of Worship
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I love spring time so much. Ever since Chelsey and I bought our home in NE Minneapolis over five years ago, I’ve so enjoyed the time leading up to the return of the sun’s warmth and the gradual increase of daylight as we near the summer months. Each day, I take notice of the growth our returning perennial plants make, showing up bigger and stronger and greener.
 
Sometimes, though, the bulbs I plant in the fall fail to pop up through the ground. When signs of typical growth fail to meet my expectations, I’ve learned to trust the unseen work that might be happening underneath the surface. Maybe the energy of the plant is being spent underneath where the roots are growing.
 
As a church over the past 15 months, we’ve really had no choice but to adjust our expectations and cling on to some hope for the signs of life that might pop up next season. And, still I wonder, is the next season here? Are we ready for what’s next? Will CtK ever feel like it used to? How are we to celebrate new life while we’re still grieving what’s been lost?
 
As many signs of normal life have been absent over the past year, the Spirit has continued her work underneath the surface, growing our roots stronger, deeper, and wider as a community of faith. Online worship and coffee hour have welcomed around 100 households each week into a deep encounter with God’s word. We’ve confirmed two classes of confirmation students and have celebrated several baptisms. CtK’s youth basketball team took second place in the championship tournament last week. Staff and members have been calling each other on the phone to check in and writing notes of comfort during times of loss. In what other ways has God strengthened you and our church while the building has remained closed?
 
Today is the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit comes to us to shake us loose from the barriers to living fully into the promise of God’s unending love. The Spirit never leaves us. And when her breath blows so strong that we can barely hold on, we remember the roots that keep us grounded.