October 2025

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever. Let Israel say it: “God’s faithful love lasts forever! Let the house of Aaron say it: “God’s faithful love lasts forever! Let those who honor the Lord say it: “God’s faithful love lasts forever! In tight circumstances, I cried out to the Lord. The Lord answered me with wide-open spaces. The Lord is for me – I won’t be afraid. What can anyone do to me? The Lord is for me – as my helper. Open the gates of righteousness for me, so I can come in and give thanks to the Lord! This is the Lord’s gate; those who are righteous enter through it. Psalm 118: 1-7a, 19-20

As we turn toward the Fall season of ministry, these words from the psalmist invite us to reflect on the simple but profound call to openness. The image of gates swinging wide reminds us that the life of faith begins not in striving, but in welcome—God’s welcome to us, and our welcome to others.

In every community across eastern Western North Carolina, there are people longing for a place of belonging. Some carry burdens of loss or disaffiliation, others wrestle with questions of identity, meaning, or hope. The church’s first gift to them is not a program or a polished sermon, but a door that stands open, a table with room, and a people who say, “You are welcome here.” We provide spaces in which the noise of the world is quieted, not altogether tuned out, but is manageable. And when the noise is not so overwhelming, perhaps all of us recognize more readily that we are in the presence of God.

To be present to God in worship and prayer is to offer hospitality. To be present to one another in listening and care. And to be present to ourselves – attentive to our own needs, limitations, and joys – so that our welcome does not run shallow. When we practice this threefold presence, we mirror the gates of righteousness described in the psalm: wide enough for all to enter yet firmly rooted in the life of God.

This Fall, may we be known not only for wide open spaces but also for the bold love of community members, neighbors, and friends. May we find strength in God’s abiding presence, courage in one another’s companionship, and renewal as we make space for both neighbor and stranger alike. The gate is open. Let us walk through it together with thanksgiving.

Blessings and Peace!

Pastor Eric