LETTER FROM KATIE • June 3, 2026

Letters from Katie
Written By Katie Hamlin

Leigh Palmer, Striped Tablecloth with Two Apples, 1983, oil on linen, 36 1/8 x 50 in. (91.8 x 127.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum

Dear Holy Comforter,

Welcome to Ordinary Time! A season which will stretch from now until Advent. Thank you for such a joyful Trinity Sunday! We had a chance to confess our faith in the words of the Athanasian Creed and we heard an abridged meditation on how we encounter the Trinity in prayer from Mike Higton. You can read that again here. 

I love how the start of Ordinary Time coincides with summer and offers us a chance to change our rhythms individually and corporately. The liturgical color changes to green which reminds us of all the plants we see bursting into flower and producing delicious fruits and vegetables for us to enjoy. And so it’s not surprising that this is a season that invites us into new growth with God. 

The Sunday lectionary readings will invite us to accompany Jesus in his ministry as it is described by the apostle Matthew. And as we observe Jesus interacting with the outcast and overlooked, those burdened by illness and suffering, people caught in sin and shame, and those who held positions of religious authority, we’ll be invited to know Jesus more deeply, so that we will love him more and desire to follow him more closely.

I also invite you to use the spaciousness of summer to notice, connect, and experience God’s presence in simple, everyday moments. Matt Wooldridge offered the following suggestions for families that I think are helpful and accessible to Christians of all ages. 

  • Maybe learn a new hymn adding a new verse each week. 

  • Read a book at bedtime. We’re going to be reading Galahad and the Grail if anyone wants to join us.

  • Take time to say thanks over meals, in the car, on a walk, at bedtime using these simple prayers.

  • Or perhaps memorize a few favorite passages of Scripture. They don’t need to be long—even a single verse can deepen our life with God. For example, “Jesus says, ‘I am the light of the world’” (John 8:12), or, “Look at the birds of the air… your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:25–26). Then take time to enjoy God’s creation: watch a sunset, observe the birds in your backyard, and let those words become a prayer as you reflect on God’s presence and care.

And then deepened the ties of love with others at Holy Comforter by joining one of our summer events. Contact me if you want more information on any of these events.

May God bless you in these summer days, giving rest to your body, joy to your heart, and renewed faith in God’s presence with you. 

With much love,
Katie

Katie Hamlin
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LETTER FROM KATIE • May 27, 2026