In my back yard, on six some weatherworn tiles, is an old bench. I have no idea how long this bench has been outside. The iron is rusted, the wood distressed and weird moss-like spirals are forming on it. When we moved into our home, the bench sat beneath a small maple tree. We took down the tree but left the bench where it is, out in the middle of the yard. Someone walking by would be surprised to see that lonely bench. It looks like it doesn't belong there. To understand that bench we need to know about that former tree.

June is a time of change at CLC. On June 19th our summer worship schedule begins with one worship at 9:30 am. Our choirs, singers, Sunday School and youth groups take a break during the warm summer months. At the end of June we'll worship in our Opsal room instead of the sanctuary as we welcome our four-legged friends (and more!) into the church for a blessing. A new person joining us at the end of June wouldn't realize that worshipping at 9:30 am in our fellowship hall isn't what we usually do. We have a much bigger story to share, and we just need to let others know it.

No matter where these summer months take you, I hope you'll bring a little of Christ Lutheran's story with you. Share with your new friends in your new adventures a little about this church in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Share how you're part of this community of faith that supports the Center for Food Action in Englewood with our own community garden and has a rummage sale that is unparalleled in size and in spirit with money supporting capital improvements at the church and also impacting people all over the world. Talk about why your faith matters to you. Share your story. I also invite you to listen to other stories too. If you visit a new church on Sunday, bring back the bulletin and their newsletter. Share it with the pastor and the council. We're always looking for new and innovative ways to tell our story, and we value seeing what other communities are doing. The more we share with each other about being the church, the more we discover just how much the story of Jesus changes the world.

See ya in church!

Pastor Marc