Pastoral Letter: Practicing the Way of the Child

Dear beloved SUM family, 

Christmas has passed, and the quiet has returned.
The lights dim. Schedules reappear.
Life gently invites us to move again.

And it is right here—in these ordinary days after Christmas—
that faith is practiced.

From Wonder to Practice

On Christmas Eve, we beheld a promise fulfilled.
On Christmas morning, we lingered with a child who came near.

Now a quieter question meets us:
How do we live with this child once the celebrations fade?

Small Faith, Practiced Slowly 

A child does not ask for grand gestures.
A child asks for steady presence. 

So it is with Jesus.

Faith after Christmas is rarely dramatic.
It looks like attention that stays,
kindness we choose again,
and obedience that continues quietly.

Small faith, practiced slowly, becomes shared faith.

We practice not to bring God closer,
but because God has already come near.

Learning to Walk Together 

Walking with a child adjusts our steps.
We pause. We wait.
We look back to see who is still with us.

This is not weakness.
It is wisdom.
The way of Jesus has always been communal.
No one is asked to walk alone.
No one is rushed ahead.

Making Honest Room in Ordinary Places 

After Christmas, we do not manufacture sacred moments.
We discover that God is already present in ordinary ones.

At the kitchen table.
In the car line.
In a quiet prayer before sleep.

This is an honest room—not perfection, but attention to where God already dwells.

Preparing for the Road Ahead 

The child welcomed at Christmas did not remain in the manger.
Soon, he would be carried on uncertain roads.

God did not remove the danger.
God chose to guide.

God did not erase the road.
God walked it with him.

This is how deliverance often begins—
with guidance before understanding,
with presence before relief.

Often, we do not recognize deliverance
while it is happening.

A Gentle Encouragement 

As we move toward Sunday, may we resist the urge to hurry.
May we keep practicing the way of the child—

slowly,
together,
and with trust.

God has come to us.
God is with us.
And God will lead us.

With you in Christ’s peace,
Pastor DH