Matthew, Mark, Luke and Susan
We’re glad you’re here!
Welcome to the weekly blog for Burlington East Community Church.
First things first: feel free to fill in your name instead of Susan. John might already be taken.
Here, you’ll find a weekly reflection which I hope will give you an opportunity to stop for a few minutes, to see yourself in God’s story of our own lives, of the community, and of creation. We’ll be thinking about what it means to live in God’s love for each of us, to grow as disciples and to follow Christ. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at minister@burlingtoneast.net.
Looking forward to journeying with you.
Peace in Christ,
Susan
Words on the walls
Something to think about: Psalm 36:5-9
This week, the church is full of children attending a Pedalheads bike camp. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be hosting our annual Summer Adventure Camp Making Waves with Jesus–both awesome ways of connecting with the youth in our community.
As we’ve been working in the office this week preparing for the Adventure Camp, we hear the dialogue of bike campers going down the hall. I have an Every Child Matters T-shirt hanging outside my office. There is also a God’s Love Includes Everyone label on my door. It’s who we are; but as they’ve been there for a while, I walk by them a lot.
This week, the hallways conversations changed that. Campers walked down the halls asking their leaders about every single thing on the bulletin boards. They were seeing things for the first time. When they passed my office, one camper read the T-shirt “Every Child Matters” to which their leader immediately replied, “They certainly do”.
Congrats to that leader for affirming the right words in the right place.
It made me wonder how often we are walking past good words or beautiful images because we’ve seen them there so often. How are we living those words, reading them aloud not just to ourselves, but to others so that they can see the message?
We changed the front of the church a bit two weeks ago (the picture is above). We wanted to use art to show a message of Jesus’ love over all creation. It’s a message that we all need to see and hear right now.
I know God has put a lot of good words and good things in our lives that sometimes we take for granted. New mornings. Joy. Jokes that let everyone laugh. Words of peace. Love that, in the words of the Psalm, reaches to the heavens. And yes, church bulletin boards and T-shirts that call us to renewed mission and sharing God’s love.
What words are around you today that need to be noticed and read aloud again? What do we need to see again for the first time?
Prayer: Open my eyes, Lord. there is so much of your goodness that you’ve put around me that sometimes I take it for granted. Let me see your messages more clearly, even if I’ve walked by them before. Amen.
Photo and content © Susan Kerr 2026. May not be reproduced or circulated without permission of the author.
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Well….
Something to think about :John 1:1-42
Let’s start with this: What’s a well?
In Jesus’ time, it was a meeting place. It’s a place where you can get what you need. A social place, for most people, but also open for those who can’t be part of the regular social circle. It’s not in a home, not a dedicated workplace, it’s a space in the community.
Often called ‘third spaces’ today, places like wells surround us. They are where we have conversations, coffee, informal gatherings. They are often the places we can ask question we can’t ask anywhere else.
Today, Jesus invites us to the well. Into a place of conversations, questions, where we all can come, where we all belong. Places where doors are open. And not only are we invited to fill our own needs (or coffee cups), but we’re also there to listen to others, to invite people into community, to follow Christ, if that’s where the conversation leads.
The woman in the story wouldn’t have had a conversation with Jesus in the middle of her town. But the well, that’s a different place. Everybody goes there. She finds her heart’s desire and answers to her questions there, and is so excited that she invites others to come and see (there’s that invitation again!).
As we follow Jesus, and we seek to share the living water that we have found, let’s think about where God has placed us and the places God has given us so that we can have those conversations. Conversations that assure those who don’t think they are part of anything that God’s plans DO include them. Conversations that share Jesus, who knows us better than anyone else and loves us for who we are. Conversations that start invitations.
Invitation, conversation, community, life and living water offered in Jesus name.
Where has God given you wells? What life-giving conversations are you having there?
Prayer: Loving God, in all places, may my heart be open to conversations with you. In all times, may I be a place of safety and safe conversations for others. Will you fill us with living water so we can nourish our communities and each other. Amen.
Photo and content © Susan Kerr 2026. May not be reproduced or circulated without permission of the author
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