Pastoral Letter: Listening to the Rain
Dear SUM Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Rain has returned to Simsbury over the past few days.
As I write this pastoral letter on Thursday morning, it is raining quite heavily outside. While I was getting the boys ready for school, I could hear the rain knocking against the roof. Around the parsonage, the sound of rain falling through the trees and leaves joined in. It came down almost like water from a shower, as if washing the dust from the ground.
Every now and then, I found myself looking out the window and getting lost in the view.
And then—
“Oh!”
It was time to get the boys to school.
After they had both left, I made a cup of coffee and returned to the window.
The house, which had been busy just a few minutes before, was quiet. Outside, the rain was still falling. For a while, I simply stood there and listened.
For me, the rain this morning was something beautiful to watch from inside, with a cup of coffee in my hands.
Then another thought came to me.
The same water can mean fear for someone else.
The rain I could watch from the safety of my home could be the reason someone else has to leave theirs. It could take away what had once seemed secure, or leave a family waiting for news of someone they love.
Standing there, I remembered the prayers I shared with you last Sunday.
Here in the United States, communities affected by floods, storms, and wildfires are still walking the long road of recovery. Around the world, people have lost homes and livelihoods to natural disasters and other crises.
In particular, recent devastating flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border has taken many lives, and many families are still waiting for news of those they love.
A disaster may disappear from our screens after a few days.
For the people who live there, however, recovery is often just beginning.
As I thought about them, these words from Paul stayed with me:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
— Romans 12:15
We cannot heal every hurt.
But perhaps weeping with others begins by making room in our hearts for someone else’s pain.
And sometimes prayer moves our hands.
As I stood by the window watching the rain, I also found myself thinking about gratitude.
Gratitude may not end with simply being thankful for what we have.
It can also mean remembering that the ordinary day I am able to enjoy may be someone else’s deepest prayer. And when we remember that, our hearts begin to turn toward our neighbors.
That, too, may be part of gratitude.
So today, along with your prayers, I would like to invite you to a special act of giving.
Through our United Methodist connection, we have the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which responds to disasters in the United States and around the world.
This is one of the reasons I value our United Methodist connection. Even when we cannot go ourselves, through UMCOR the church can still be present. UMCOR responds to immediate needs after disasters and also walks with communities through the longer work of recovery and rebuilding.
Beginning this week, we will receive a special offering for people and communities affected by disaster.
If you are able, I invite you to join in this offering along with your prayers.
One hundred percent of gifts designated for UMCOR disaster response are used to support disaster response ministries serving people and communities in need.
What we offer can help meet urgent needs and support communities as they begin the long work of rebuilding.
In this way, our prayers can become a small channel of God’s grace and care.
As I finish this letter, the rain is still falling outside my window.
This morning, it sounds a little different to me.
It reminds me of the grace found in an ordinary day—and of neighbors who, today, have lost that ordinary life.
If you hear the rain this week, I hope you will pause for a moment and remember them in your prayers.
May our gratitude lead us to prayer, and may our prayers take shape in love.
May God be with all who are living through disaster and loss, and bless every hand that is caring, helping, and rebuilding alongside them.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor DH
Rev. Dong Hyun Choi
Simsbury United Methodist Church