It's our long-standing custom in the Moravian Church and here at EHMC to select a scripture text to set the tone and guide the congregation's way through the calendar year. In January, the passage printed above was chosen to be our watchword. Though our annual watchwords are seemingly drawn at random, we like to think of them as being, some-how, special nudges from God who knows what we need and what we're ready for.        So, what does God want from the people of East Hills in the months to come? Everytime I look at the sentence from Mark's gospel, my eyes are drawn immediately to one word: COMPASSION.        In the larger context of this scripture passage, Jesus was tired and worn out from helping and healing all those who clamored for his assistance, and down deep in his bones, all he wanted to do was take a little break for the care of his own soul. But even as he tried to slip quietly away to a secluded spot, the needy people discovered his hiding place. In fact, they beat him to it! Upon his arrival, there they were already, still begging for his attention.        Did he say to them, "Sorry folks. I'm tapped out tonight?" Or did he have his disciples shoo them away? Absolutely not. He "had compassion on them," and he sought to ease their confusion, their turmoil.        Compassion. One of my favorite authors, Frederick Buechner, says, "Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too." It seems to me that the people of East Hills aspire to having peace and joy. Do we also aspire to making sure there's plenty of peace and joy for those outside our boundaries, too?        Our watchword challenges us to look around, even after we've worked hard and long on a project or an event, and to notice who still could use our attention. Sisters and brothers, may our compassion lead us into ministry we never even knew we had the gumption to do!

Compassionately Yours,

Pastor Chris