August 14, 2014


Stone facade: repairs completed!
Services for this coming Sunday, August 17th, the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, will be at 8 and 10 am. In Rev. Heidi’s absence this Sunday, we welcome the Rev. Ellie McLaughlin as our presider and preacher. Ellie has been a long-time friend of this parish, and recently she and her spouse, Betsy Hess, have become regular members. We hope you will join us for worship and fellowship.
The readings for this Sunday are Genesis 45:1-15, Psalm 133, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28.
This Sunday is the day for the Annual Church World Service CROP Walk! The walk begins at the Baptist Meeting House on Church St. in Sandwich at 1 pm and goes for about five miles. Several people from our parish will be walking and are still collecting sponsors. If you haven’t already contributed, please consider doing so this Sunday, and be part of this important endeavor that raises funds for our Community Food Pantry, Dinner Bell, and overseas efforts to eliminate hunger.  Thanks.
Kaitlyn in The Sound of Music: We haven’t seen much of Kaitlyn Marshall lately. She’s been busy with work and theatre, but she’d be delighted to have old friends come see her (as one of the nuns) in the production of The Sound of Music at the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse, evenings at 7 through this Sunday. http://www.artsinmotiontheater.com/
An update on the Rummage Sale: The FUN-Rising Committee met last night and have decided to take a break from the Rummage Sale this year so that energies could be directed to other upcoming events, most especially preparation for our booth at the Sandwich Fair October 11–13. If you have clothing that you plan to donate, it will be gratefully received by our friends at Agape, 2.5 miles south on rte. 16, opposite the Pizza Barn, at the near corner of Pine Hill Road.

Thinking about HOSPITALITY at Saint Andrew’s – An important committee report and food for thought…  
 Being a welcoming congregation is a hallmark of this place! All of us who are here enjoythe benefits, both as receivers and as providers of hospitality. We do it well, and there’s room for change. The chair of hospitality, the senior warden, and the rector met this morning over breakfast to strategize improvements on how we host coffee hour and other (non-fundraising) special events. We all recognize how important it is to us as a community to gather after the service on Sundays to enjoy each other's company and to greet and welcome guests. And we’ve all been the recipients of a hot cup of coffee and a few tasty bites to accompany our conversations. But we’ve struggled with sharing the pleasures and work of hosting.  
As a result of this morning’s meeting, we would like to try something and encourage your participation. There are three parts to this new proposal:

First: Sally DeGroot (our hospitality chair) would like to have a list of hospitality volunteers to call on. The more names on this list, the lighter the load. Agreeing to be a volunteer indicates that you’d be willing to be called on from time to time to provide food for refreshments and that you’d be willing to be asked on occasions when help is needed. (You would always be free to decline.) To sign up as a volunteer, please email Sally (rootyclan@aol.com) or sign the new volunteer list at coffee hour.
Second: We would like to establish three coffee hour teams to serve on the second, third, and fourth Sundays of each month from September through December (at which point new teams would be established if the fall season teams are ready for a break). A team would consist of two or three people and would have full responsibility for hosting the coffee hour following the 10:00 service: providing food, setting up, making coffee, and cleaning up. By having two or three members to each team the load would not be heavy on any one person. It is also a great way to bring in newer members, since collaboration is one of the world’s best ways of getting to know each other and building friendships. You do not have to be a great baker! Crackers, cheese and some fruit finger-food are perfect! To sign up as a team member, please email Sally (rootyclan@aol.com) or sign the new team list at coffee hour.
Third: Recognizing that not everyone may not be in a financial position to cover the costs, we would like to have a back-up supply of suitable items, well-wrapped in zip-lock freezer bags, in our freezer labeled “available for coffee hour.” When you bake a batch of cookies or breads for your own use, consider setting a dozen cookies or a small loaf aside to contribute to our church freezer. We also are reinstituting a “contributions” basket to assist if people need help with purchases.
Our hope is that we can establish a system that will flow smoothly, for which people take responsibility, and to which we all contribute in some way.
Feasting and breaking bread together are profound signs of God’s kingdom, whether it is around the altar with bread and wine – the gift of God’s presence within us – or informally in the Parish Hall with coffee and a cookie and conversation with a new or old friend.
The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. It is a reminder that whenever we reach out in hospitality, whether it be to strangers who are our guests or friends and family members whom we’ve known and loved for years, we often find that we have entertained angels – that we have been blessed by a messenger of the divine and our lives have been enriched! May we each come to experience both sides of this holy hospitality in this place!
Summer blessings,
Heidi+