Pastoral Letter: Glimpses of God’s Image

Dear Simsbury UMC Family,

Grace and peace to you in Christ.

In the heat of summer, a sudden cool breeze can wash over us, carrying a breath of gratitude and joy. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would move through your life in the same way—breathing renewal, hope, and the quiet strength of God’s presence into your days.

This past Tuesday evening, I shared a meal in a member’s home. As the sun sank beyond the window, I found myself pausing. We see the sunset every day, and yet no two are ever the same. That moment reminded me: even in what feels like ordinary time, God’s grace arrives fresh.

Since coming to Simsbury, I’ve been given so many moments like that. Friends stopping by the parsonage to lend a hand. Others quietly repairing what needs care. The bright laughter of the Little Lambs & Ivy children each morning. Staff serving in the office and sanctuary. Members who slip into carrying out ministry without fanfare.

Upstairs, the Prayers and Squares Quilters weave joy into every fabric. Committees gathering to shape worship—SPRC, Worship, Finance, Trustees, and education leaders. Meetings to prepare Confirmation Class. Conversations for Rally Day and Stewardship. Hours spent with the Communications Team.

And then the table moments: members who came just to share a story, those who welcomed me with a meal and open hands.

One month in, and in every encounter, I’ve been piecing together the mosaic of your lives. And in each fragment, I glimpse the image of God. Again and again, a quiet thought rises: Here it is. Here I have seen it—the image of God.

Genesis tells us: “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them…” (Genesis 1:27). And yet Scripture also reminds us of God’s holiness. When Moses prayed, “Show me your glory,” the Lord replied, “You cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). When Isaiah glimpsed the Lord in the temple, he cried, “Woe is me! I am lost” (Isaiah 6:5).

The God we cannot fully see has placed His own image within us. And so I catch its light—in a child’s laughter, in hands offering help, in prayers whispered in faith, in conversations that carry grace.

This week, I invite you into a simple practice. Pause and look in the mirror. Say:
 “I am a child of God, created in His image.”

Then turn to a neighbor, a friend, even a stranger. See and recognize the image of God in them. Offer this blessing as you pray:
 “You are a child of God, created in His image.”

It’s such a small act. Yet this simple blessing becomes both confession and gift—a word spoken to ourselves and to one another. As we speak it, we begin to see with new eyes.

When we gather this Sunday, I hope we can look at each other and say with joy:
 “Here we are—made in God’s image. Called the body of Christ. Our Lord among us and in the world He loves.”

And may that vision shape the church we are becoming together.

With gratitude and grace,
Pastor DH Choi