When I was in school, one of the most important parts of my life was music. I played flute and piccolo and was a student director and drum major. Though directing ensembles and bands became a great passion, I preferred simply playing my instruments. When I played, I was able to become lost in the music. It was my hiding place and my inspiration.

This was all well and good, except to play well, I had to be willing to begin again. Practice was the only way I could make it through a piece without arresting and disrupting mistakes. I needed the soft, malleable ritual of beginning again…and again…and again so that eventually my public and private performances were beautifully rendered.

 As we begin another church calendar year, I invite you, dear Plymouth, to begin again. As I preached last Sunday, we are a people in exile. We are away from home; however, just like the prophet Jeremiah reminded, we can begin again wherever we find ourselves.

 There is a song to play; however, you and I must be open to the Spirit of God. Let us practice as we seek to play our music beautifully. Let us practice being community virtually. Let us believe that all things work together for the good of those who love God, and see our time apart as instructive and a symbol that the church truly is the people. May we, with great courage, remember that God is with us, and that as a community of faith, we are called to radical trust—the kind of trust in God and each other that will allow us to brave the storms of pandemic, anxiety, chaos, and despair.

Begin again. Practice with me, and witness the beauty we create. -Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown