Wednesday morning's snow and Thursday's whipping winds notwithstanding, Spring is bursting out all over!
This Sunday, May 2nd we will have one service only at 9:00, followed by hearty, small-sandwich coffee hour to fortify us for our All Parish Spring Work Day. Coffee Hour will be hosted by the Liturgy Committee.
Feel free to come to church dressed suitably for cleaning and yard work. An array of tasks are available, both indoors and out -- some physically demanding and others not. If you enjoy outdoor work, please bring along your work gloves, lawn rake, and spading fork. Plan on being done by noon. [If you are unable to stay for the work day, please don't let that deter you from coming to church!]
Also this Sunday: Dinner Bell help is desperately needed! As of yet, no one has stepped forward to host this Sunday's Dinner Bell. Patti Rau, one of the coordinators (but who will be out of town), suggests that we order pizzas or subs, and that she is willing to purchase salad supplies and a simple dessert, and that we make use of paper plates to simplify clean-up. The church foots the bill for the food, so there are no out-of-pocket expenses for the "cook team." Dinner Bell guests begin to arrive around 4:30. At 5:00 a simple grace is offered and the meal is served. With light clean-up you can be certain of being out by 6:00, probably earlier.
As a parish, we have a commitment to this ministry of providing a healthy, free meal once a week to those who come. The number of guests is usually around 20, though can be as many as 30 or as few as 8. A number of people in the parish commit to serving as "cook team" four or more times a year. Others see to it that tables are set up each week and that silverware packets are set. If you have not done it before, this would be a much-appreciated time for you to offer your services.
If no one steps forward to host, we will be forced to put a sign on the door canceling the meal, something we have not done before. If you would be willing to help out, please call me at home (367-8220) and leave a message. Thanks.
Mission & Outreach discussions May 9 and 23.
It's been a while since we've had an Outreach & Mission discussion. We'll have one on Sunday, May 9th, after the 10 a.m. service, and another on May 23rd. On May 9, we'll focus on the school on Kenya, because some changes there mean that the tailoring program may not be the top priority at this time. We'll keep that meeting short, especially since it's Mother's Day. On May 23, we'll return to the broader question of where to put our Outreach and Mission focus.
Planning ahead: We will be hosting an Italian Dinner on Friday, May 21st, the proceeds from which will go to support Meals on Wheels, Agape Ministries, and Episcopal Relief and Development. Lynne Clough is coordinating the event and is looking for volunteers for cooking (at home), set-up, serving, and clean-up. there is a sign-up list posted in the Parish Hall.
Food for thought from Thomas Keating:
"The spiritual journey is not a career or a success story. It is a series of humiliations of the false self that becomes more and more profound. These make room inside us for the Holy Spirit to come in and heal. What prevents us from being available to God is gradually evacuated. We keep getting closer and closer to our center. Every now and then God lifts a corner of the veil and enters into our awareness through various channels, as if to say, "Here I am. Where are you? Come and join me."
Eastertide continues.
See you in church!
Blessings, Heidi+
