Friday, 10 September 2010
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Pastor Mary's Comments
Pastor Mary's Comments
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Pastor Mary's
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It has been a marvelous summer of rest, refreshment, inspiration, and renewal. I give thanks to God, to George+, Rod+, and to the vestry, people and staff of St. Michael’s Church for the gift of this sabbatical time. I find that I am eager and ready to resume our life and ministry together. I am excited by what God is already doing at St. Michael’s in my absence and what may be awaiting us in the program year ahead. I love the continued physical improvements to the campus, with festive umbrellas, freshly painted doors, and well-tended landscape – all which are consonant with St. Michael’s mission of Welcoming the many members, guests, school families, and visitors who come to our campus on a daily basis. I know a lot of work went into this, and I am grateful. I read with great joy how you’ve undertaken a new mission project supplying our neighbor, Star King School, with backpacks for students and planning other collaborative support to enhance the lives of neighborhood children. God will bless this and the many other ways that St. Michael’s Church and St. Michael’s School reach out into the community. My heart is warmed by the eagerness with which adults are volunteering to work with our youth and children in this year’s upcoming Sunday School and Christian Education programs. I want to thank Paul Hauck – well, for lots of things – but right now, for stepping in and organizing the summer Sunday Bible Story & Crafts program. He tells me that it was “easy-peasy” because so many folks volunteered to help and are continuing that support into the regular program year. On a personal note, one of the fruits of my sabbatical time was to “reset” my baptismal identity in Christ back to what I might call First Principles. I return less interested in doctrinal questions and more interested in discipleship. I return more committed to church as the called out, visible, incarnate Body of Christ, working to incarnate God’s vision for humanity and the creation, than to church as an idea or institution. I don’t know where this shift will lead me, but I may need to hang on to that bar that they drop down in front of you on the California Screamin’ roller coaster ride at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park. To be honest, I didn’t ride that or any other roller coaster at Disneyland this summer, but my heart pounded and I screamed along in solidarity as the two generations that follow me – youngest son Chris, and granddaughter Alex – took that wild ride – not once, not twice, but three times! I want the church to match their courage and their spirit of adventure and engagement – not in roller coaster rides, that’s just the metaphor – but in the world around them. Love & Blessings to you all, Mary+ |
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