The Rev. Charles LaFond, diocesan canon for ministry, meeting with the Vestry and Stewardship Committee on Wednesday for a lively evening of Bible study, conversation and stewardship planning.
This Sunday, June 6th, we will have one service only at 9:00. It will be followed by coffee hour hosted by the Vestry.
Also this Sunday, at about 10:20, all who are interested are invited to gather for a discussion of the Presiding Bishop's Pastoral Letter issued earlier this week. Click here to jump to it. Printed copies will be available at church.
This letter, urging continued dialogue, is a very well-formed, clear, and courageous response to the recent Pentecost Letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury in which he expressed serious criticism of the recent consecration of Suffragan Bishop Mary Douglas Glasspool, the church's second openly gay, partnered bishop.
I encourage you to read the letter, even if you can't be part of our conversation. She offers some very insightful perspectives, both theological and historical. "We believe that the Spirit is always calling us to greater understanding." [++KJS]
The Women's Lunch Bunch will be meeting at the Lazy Susan Restaurant in Ossipee on Rte 25 east at noon on Wednesday the 9th. All women are welcome.
And in the Good News department: Val and Bill May are thrilled to announce the healthy birth of twin grandsons David and Joseph, born to their daughter Shannon and her husband on Wednesday. There's a wonderful picture of the babies on the Parish Bulletin Board.
And food for thought from Suzanne Guthrie: Suzanne Guthrie raises a question many of us struggle with: What's the point of intercessory prayer? Is intercession magical thinking? Does something actually change somewhere when I pray? Doesn't God know our needs before we ask? What's the use of praying when I can't actually go actively help? But the questions don't stop her from praying...for loved ones, strangers, even enemies. "Prayer carves a warren of interconnecting passageways into my widening heart," she says. "I give each person a shelter in which to rest before they go on to where The One Who Loves Them has prepared a place. As my heart empties and fills again, my heart of stone breaks piece by piece to reveal flesh. Praying for others teaches compassion and connection."
See you at church!
Blessings, Heidi+
