Dear Church Family,
On our recent trip to Maui, I was quickly struck by something unexpected—the speed of traffic. Or more accurately, the lack of it. Cars moved at a pace that felt almost painfully slow to someone used to the hustle of the mainland. At first, I found myself impatient. But as we left the city around the airport behind and the scenery opened up, my perspective began to shift. To my right stood majestic, green mountains that seemed to touch the sky. Clouds were pouring over its serene peaks. To my left, the coastline shimmered under the sun, waves gently rolling against the shore. I realized that if traffic had moved faster, I might have missed all of it.
We came to the city of Lahaina, where the damage from the fires was still tragically evident. There were memorials and tributes that I would have been oblivious to at my normal tempo.
That slower pace, once a source of frustration, became a gift. It reminded me of what Scripture teaches us about slowing down and truly seeing the world around us—the people, the beauty, and the opportunities God places in our path.
Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In a culture that prizes busyness, God invites us to stillness. In slowing down, we find room to recognize His presence and handiwork. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” The challenge is not just to find time, but to make time—to notice, to reflect, to be present.
Jesus Himself modeled this rhythm. In the midst of His active ministry, He often withdrew to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16). He walked with people, noticed those others ignored, and was never in such a hurry that He missed a moment to show compassion or speak truth.
Returning to the mainland, I find myself already missing Maui’s forced pause. But perhaps we don’t need an island getaway to experience the same. Maybe it’s a walk without our phones, a conversation unhurried, or a few minutes spent in prayer and the Word before rushing into the day.
Unplug… and connect with what God has for you…
As we reflect on this, I’m reminded of the powerful moment last Sunday evening. Our youth gathered and visited the building project to write Scripture and prayers on the inside of the wall cavities. These words, Bible verses, and prayers will be forever embedded in the structure of our new space. It was beautiful to watch them slow down and take those moments to invest their faith into our foundation, literally and spiritually.
Let’s continue to pray for our building project—that it will not only be a structure of brick and wood but a sanctuary of God’s presence.
And let’s also pray that we, as a church family, would embrace the slower moments, where God speaks most clearly.
Loving you all,
Michael