The Buildings and Grounds Committee (Lin Frank, Chair, Pat
Adams, George and Patti Rau, Lisa Thompson and Caroline) are hard at work
identifying and getting estimates for projects that need to be completed in the
near future as well as down the road.
We have quite a long list, some of which are included below.
Projects that have been recently completed:
- New gravel in the front parking area (Please do not
park on the grass). Many thanks to Tom for overseeing this and
spreading the gravel mixture!
- Windows on the front of the building have been scraped, caulked and painted.
- Prince Room woodwork has been re-stained – Many thanks
to Lisa who undertook this job single-handedly!
Some of the priority projects on our list include:
- Fixing the loose railing at the front entrance
- Installing heat cables in the roof valleys
- Repaving the parking lot
- Laying crushed stone around the foundation to help with drainage
- Electrical work: replacing fluorescent lights with LED lighting, installing a second light fixture and an outlet for a heater in the large bathroom, replacing the light outside the small bathroom.
We’d also like your input - are there maintenance items you think need to be prioritized? Our list continues to grow, but we want to be sure we consider those things you consider important. If you have items please contact either me or Lin Frank.
When our project list is complete (as much as something like this can be) it will be published - it's still a work in progress!
Blessings, Caroline
The remaining Sundays at 8:00 and 10:00 AM
This Sunday-September 26th
18th Sunday after Pentecost
at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.
The
Collect
O God, you declare your almighty
power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace,
that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly
treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
First
Lesson Esther
7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
In this Hebrew
Bible story we hear how Queen Esther, by wisdom and providence, turns the
tables and saves her people. Israel is
in exile in Persia, where a Jewish woman is taken into the king’s harem and is
eventually made his queen. One of the
king’s advisors, Haman, makes a personal vendetta into a persecution of the
entire Jewish people. This story of
sorrow turned into gladness, set during the reign of Xerxes I, is celebrated in the Jewish festival of Purim)
Psalm
124
A hymn of thanksgiving for
deliverance.
The
Second Lesson James 5:13-20
This New Testament lesson is an
affirmation of prayer and the power of forgiveness in all circumstances. Prayer should characterize the lives of the
suffering and joyous alike, and those who are sick should seek the intercession
of the church leaders. The community of
believers is to strive for the restoration to faith of any who have strayed.
The
Gospel Mark 9:38-50
In the gospel Jesus bids his disciples
to accept all who seek to do good in his name and to deal ruthlessly with
whatever part of themselves causes sin.
Early Christians were doubtless faced with people outside their
communities who said they were acting in Christ’s name. The tolerant answer given here suggests that
Jesus’ followers must avoid arrogance and be open to God’s divine actions. On the other hand, it is a serious matter to
lead a believer astray. The counsel to
destroy offending parts of the body is exaggerated to make clear the importance
of avoiding various sins. The
description of hell is drawn from the garbage dump outside Jerusalem.
Updating the Prayer List
Please let Deb know if you need someone added to the prayer list. Thank you.
Save the Date!
Sat. October 9th 9am – 1pm
Tamworth Farmers’ Market
St. Andrew’s-in-the-Valley Pie Sale
As with last year, we will not be sponsoring our Harvest Dinner and Pie Auction due to Covid-19. Instead, we will be offering pies (and other goodies) for sale at The Tamworth Farmers’ Market!
Calling all bakers! Please consider your favorite recipes….the more pies we have, the more we can sell!
Reminders:
--you can use aluminum pie plates, if you so choose
--pies and pie plates will be sold together
--there is a sign-up board in the Parish Hall to help plan on the type and
quantity of pies. Please stop by and add your pie!
Weekly updates and more information will be posted here!
Tina, Lin and Jean DeThomas
Contemplative Practice on Zoom
Tuesdays from 9:00-10:00am
Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Psalm 90:12
The pace with which we move through our days can cause our hearts to be weary and distracted. We can feel disconnected from our lives. Making room in our life to pause, sit in silence, and simply be can help us reconnect and strengthen our hearts.
Each Tuesday morning our session will draw upon the Christian contemplative tradition, monastic spirituality, Buddhist meditation, and self-compassion practices. Our time together will include prayer, guided meditation, contemplative sharing from the heart, conversation, and fellowship. Newcomers are welcome at each session.
If you would like to learn more or have questions, contact Christi Humphrey at cchumphrey@comcast.net.
Christi offers a Tuesday evening contemplative practice, virtually, through Bethany House of Prayer, Arlington, MA. If you are interest in this offering visit https://www.bethanyhousearlington.org/contemplative or contact Christi.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT NIVERSARIES
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off;
it is better for you to enter life maimed
than to have two hands and to go to hell,
to the unquenchable fire.
—Mark 9.45
The hand that causes you to stumble
is not at the end of your arm. It’s deeper than that.
What is the hand in you
that reaches for what is not yours? Cut it off.
There is nothing you need to grasp.
What is the eye in you that does not look with love?
Pluck it out. The eyes of love are good enough.
What are the feet in you that that won't trust,
that lead you away from the path of love?
Cut them off. You don’t need to go there.
Does it sound harsh? Don’t worry,
they’re not part of the real you.
Besides, they’ll grow back.
The Teacher is not asking you to maim yourself.
He is inviting you to name what interferes,
and to take away its power.
He's leading us out of the unquenchable fire
of our fears, desires and attachments.
Without our grasping, fearful, compulsive parts,
perhaps then we will rely more
on the eyes and hands and feet of Jesus.
