Dear Rose Park,

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singly o’re the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strain. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Above is the first verse and refrain from “Angels We Have Heard on High.” It’s one of the most famous songs during the Christmas season. Casting Crowns, Josh Groban, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and even Sarah McLachlan have their own versions of the beloved hymn (my personal favorite is Andrea Bocelli). Regardless of the version, it is a beautiful hymn that perfectly encapsulates the glory of Christmas while also inviting us to imagine the wonder and excitement of Christ’s birth.

Dear Rose Park,

This past year has caused a lot of difficulty; it’s been filled with grief, pain, and even fear. We’ve lost loved ones without being able to say goodbye. We’ve missed opportunities we’ll never get back. However, this year has also forced us to ask difficult and probing questions like: why is this happening? Where do we go from here? What does this all mean? What’s on the other side of this? And finally, who am I? This last question is what interests me most.

From the desk of our beloved intern, Amanda Bunce…

Dear Rose Park,

Cats, eagles, mantis shrimp, and sheep all have spectacular vision abilities. Cats can see in the dark, eagles can see a mile and a half away, mantis shrimp have an advanced color recognition for the ocean floor, and sheep have wide and narrow pupils that allow them to see a wider field of vision than any other animal as they are constantly alert for predators while grazing with their head down.

Dear Rose Park,

Living in Michigan, we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by beautiful trees: great big oaks, prickly pines, and colorful maples cover over 50 % of the entire state. Did you know the state tree of Michigan is the Eastern White Pine, the most abundant trees in Michigan are maples, and that most of the lumber used to construct Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871 came from Michigan? This is all to say, we are surrounded by beautiful, strong, and giving trees.

Dear Rose Park,

One of Simon’s favorite games to play is “I Spy.” We typically play the game while driving in the car to pass the time. Simon is always spying stop signs, red barns, and big trucks. On Monday morning, as we drove to Aunt Bear’s daycare (aka Cherrie VanderSlik’s house), I said to Simon, “I spy with my little eye a big red barn.” After a few scans on the horizon Simon said, “I see it daddy! That barn is really far away!” After Simon made the comment, my mind thought of another thing that I can spy that is much closer than we think.

Dear Rose Park,

Our denomination publishes a small devotional entitled Words of Hope. I read a recent entry from Psalm 31. If you get a chance, I’d encourage you to pick up your bible sometime this week and read through Psalm 31; it speaks directly to our congregation, our community, and our country. The psalmist is writing from a dark place and I can only imagine the pain in their heart while they penned these words:

Dear Rose Park,

Breaking News: there is no news because we still don’t know. It’s still too early and it’s still too close. This election process has been long, arduous, and at times ridiculous. It has not brought out the best in us as a nation, but it would be foolish for us to think that an elected official would fix all our problems and it would be just as foolish for us to lose hope in the Gospel of Jesus.

Dear Rose Park,

Thank you. Thank you for your faithfulness, your support, your prayers, and your commitment to the people of God during these odd and unprecedented times. Thank you so much for loving your neighbor as yourself and being hospitable with our health protocols. Thank you for not allowing the fear of today overwhelm your hope in eternity. It brings a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart to be a recipient of your thoughtfulness and support as well as to witness your generosity to others.

Dear Rose Park,

Today’s letter comes from the desk of our intern, Amanda Bunce…

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:1-2). The joy and worship this Psalm talks about is the type of relationship I had with both the Lord and my small town church growing up. Through high school, I loved going to church, I was very active in worship, and I felt extremely loved by my small (15-30 people) church. In looking back, I felt welcomed and loved by this congregation because I fit the mold and did what they considered was “good” and it was worth their praise. They only knew me as the girl who lit the candles, read scripture every Sunday, worked hard in school, and was no wild child. However, I wanted to do these things so the love and acceptance they gave me was still genuine.

Dear Rose Park,

Our minds tend to wander. Whether it’s at work, in class, or sipping coffee at the breakfast table our minds tend to drift. Rarely are we fully present in one place. Too often our physical bodies are present, but our minds are somewhere else. Maybe you’ve had this while driving, during a zoom call, or even in the middle of a sermon. However, this is not the case with God. God is not only everywhere present but He’s also fully present everywhere.