A Different Rhythm
Late spring and early summer have a different rhythm in Northfield.
Students graduate. Gardens emerge. Windows open again. Birds return. And many of us find ourselves drawn outside almost instinctively.
This week I am attending the Midwest Bioregional Summit, spending time with people asking questions about ecology, community, and resiliency. Along with learning sessions, we are participating in somatic work — practices that invite us to pay attention not only with our minds, but also with our bodies. Walking outside and hearing the birds chirping, I found myself appreciating the sounds of nature again. Sometimes healing and renewal begin by slowing down enough to notice what is around us.
At Northfield UMC, several members recently attended the Manna & Mercy retreat with Alan Storey, and a few follow-up conversations have begun around questions of faith, mercy, justice, and community. While not everyone attended the retreat, some of the questions and reflections continue to ripple outward in meaningful ways.
June also brings meaningful moments in the life of our congregation and community. On June 6, some from NUMC will participate in Pride in the Park as we continue to celebrate God’s love and the sacred worth of every person. On June 7, we will celebrate our graduates during worship and recognize this important transition in their lives. And on June 14, we’ll gather together at the parsonage for coffee hour.
Throughout June, we will also host a Community Art Exhibit, creating space for creativity, beauty, and shared expression within our church building. Beginning this summer, we will participate in Pub Theology with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northfield — an opportunity for conversation and community beyond the walls of the church. Softball season is also underway, which is its own reminder that fellowship and joy are often found in ordinary gatherings and shared experiences.
As summer unfolds, our worship series will move through stories from Genesis — stories filled with promise, wilderness, dreams, struggle, and transformation. We’ll begin with Sarah and Hagar before turning later in the summer to the complicated and deeply human story of Jacob. These ancient stories remind us that faith is rarely straightforward or emotionally neutral. More often, it unfolds through laughter and doubt, wilderness and wrestling, ordinary moments, and surprising grace.
On Father’s Day weekend, we will reflect on “Building What Lasts,” be invited to participate in Habitat for Humanity, and remember that strong foundations are formed not only in houses, but also in communities and relationships.
Later in the summer, on Sunday, July 19, we will also celebrate the 171st anniversary of Northfield United Methodist Church — giving thanks for those who came before us, while continuing to listen for where God is leading us next.
Summer often brings a slightly different pace to congregational life — a little more spaciousness, a little more time to breathe, travel, reconnect, worship, and pay attention to the world around us.
As the season begins, may we each find moments to slow down a bit, listen deeply, and notice the life stirring around us — and within us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Donna