Dear Church,

Last Wednesday I woke to a loud crashing sound. After Melissa and I checked to see that our boys were okay, we opened the back door to find that a large ash tree had broken at its base and crushed the corner of our deck, shattering a plate-glass patio table. The branches bore an abundance of bright, green leaves, but the trunk had rotted from the inside. When the rains came, the sodden wood was more than it could bear. He who has ears, let him hear.

Nine weeks is a long time to stay planted in Galatians, but—like that grove of churches—we too need reminding that it’s possible to look healthy on the outside and be sick at the center. This summer, send your roots into the gospel. Drink deeply of grace. We can only bear up under the sorrows of this world when we stay rooted in what Christ bore first for us. Now all I need is a good insurance metaphor.

Growing beside you,

Kyle Chase, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team