Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

The photo of Rob and me in Happenings, taken this week, holds profound significance. It symbolizes the diverse seasons of Talmadge Hill's journey, with each of us representing a unique phase, yet sharing this sacred space.

The flower arrangement you created on Sunday, which now graces my apartment, continues to fill me with awe. These are the very blooms you brought forward during communion, each of you selecting one that resonated with you and placing it in the vase. Their vibrant colors and varied textures are a testament to the beauty that emerges when we bring our differences together—a reflection of the divine among us, as I mentioned in Sunday's worship. Each bloom is exquisite in its own right, but together they form a stunning bouquet, a powerful symbol of our unity in diversity, each of us a unique and essential part of the Talmadge Hill Community.

This Sunday, in my sermon titled "Both/And: When Stories Coexist in God's Grace," we will delve into Luke 15:1-10, and this photo with Rob, me, and the flowers perfectly encapsulates our focus during this interim time on non-dualism—moving beyond either/or to embrace both/and. In interim seasons, contemplating non-dualistic thinking becomes especially important, as it helps us live into God's economy of generosity. This perspective enables us to realize that the old and the new can coexist, allowing us to live fully in the present while honoring and learning from the past and imagining a future filled with possibility. As Richard Rohr eloquently puts it, "nondual consciousness is a much more holistic knowing, where your mind, heart, soul, and senses are open and receptive to the moment just as it is, which allows you to love things in themselves and as themselves.

Join us in worship on Sunday as we discover together how God delights in bringing the separated back into wholeness—whether lost sheep, lost coins, or the beautiful integration that makes authentic community possible.

Mooi Loop,

Dries