Clergy Reflections, Christine, September 14, 2025

My Friends in Christ,

As children have been returning to school the past few weeks, my mind keeps flicking to the families of the flood victims of Camp Mystic, particularly to our Day School family who lost sweet Mary Barrett Stevens.

Walking with people in the deepest of grief through the tragedy of the July 4th flooding has changed how I parent Lucas. I find myself lingering more. I linger when I hold him. I linger when we play. I linger when rocking him before bed. I linger when I watch him laugh with his grandmother. I linger in love with my boy. Not just because I know this time with him is only temporary and never promised, but also because the extra minutes of lingering in love with him each day are good for both of us.

The Gospel this Sunday is about searching for the lost sheep and the lost coin. I often feel like I’ve been searching for motherhood my whole life and now that I’ve found my son, I hold him high over my shoulders and rejoice that we are together. I rejoice by lingering in love.

The family of Mary Barrett is lingering in deep love for her by starting a foundation in her memory. The “Live Like MB Foundation” will allow children the opportunity, through scholarships and financial aid, to participate in activities and programs that they wouldn’t otherwise have available to them.

Our St. Matt’s Day School is having a fundraiser for this foundation, selling shirts and stickers. I have attached that link here: https://stmattes.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/LiveLikeMB/tabid/1559029/Default.aspx.

This week, may we all linger in love, by lingering in what matters most to us. Linger with family or friends, linger on cool morning walks, linger in good memories, linger with belly scratches for pets, linger on the pickle ball court, linger a while after church with your community that loves you so very much. Linger in joy. Linger in laughter. Linger.
 
Let us always linger in the love of Christ,