Last week, after a great morning gathering at Holy Communion in St Peter’s, I made the two-hour dash to St. James in Marshall. As I was getting out of my car into a light rain, I received a photo on my phone from a long-time friend.

My emotional reaction to the photo almost stopped me in my tracks. The picture showed an endless blue sky, deep green water and a boat filled with dear friends smiling at me.  How I longed to be with them.

As I crossed the street toward the church, a voice from behind me yelled out: “Hey Bishop! Thanks for being here!”

This comment quickly shifted my mind from the place I longed to be to my present reality.

Over the next two hours, I had the privilege (and I choose that word intentionally) to be with a group of people who have worked hard to create a plan to make the historic building that houses their faith community more accessible. Their vision and drive to make their church home truly welcoming to everyone is nothing short of inspiring.

Sure, it would have been great to be on a beautiful lake on a warm sunny day with dear friends. Yet, standing in the rain with incredibly faithful folks who want to share their church home with others was, in fact, exactly where I wanted to be.