We are so grateful for the great turn-out for Canon Phillips’ presentation last Sunday! Thank you for your presence and your questions. If you missed it, the session was recorded—you can click here to see the video and here to read the Powerpoint slides outlining the transition process. Ray Groshong is working on creating a special page on the website for transition information so that you’ll have one place to go for information and updates. Thank you to Beth Baker for her advocacy on behalf of our parishioners at Riderwood. We want to make it easy for everyone to be able to get and share information. Thank you for your questions and ideas!
If you haven’t yet heard JasCiel Stamp’s powerful testimony on “What Good Shepherd Has Done For Me,” check out the recording here.
They say that talking about finances can ruin relationships – or it can strengthen them. Our vestry meeting last evening was an example of relationships continuing to be strengthened. (The stewardship campaign has been another example of this!) We began our time together with a reflection on the difference between discernment and decision-making, thanks to a text from Henri Nouwen that Mother Anna shared with us. (You can see the text here.) We are deeply grateful to Melissa Garcia and Kirk Franklin of the finance committee who spent the evening with us and helped us dig in deeper to where we are currently and what our budget looks like for next year and beyond.
As an example of God’s incredible generosity, the supply priest who will be with us on Sunday—after the originally scheduled priest had to pull out—is my former, long-term spiritual director, the Rev. Karen Johnson. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that that had happened. I haven’t seen Karen in about ten years and I am amazed and delighted that she will be coming to my church home. She is a deeply kind and delightful human being as well as being a powerful preacher. You won’t want to miss this.
That’s all I have time for this morning. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
