What...??? Another power outage...??? YES!!! Only it wasn't a squirrel this time!! It was ....RANDOM!!! It started with another morning panic call/txt only from Moe (Panda Camp) not George...and it was eerily similar to the last outage 2 weeks ago: some lights out (half of the Parish Hall where the Camp is); some AC units (the one in the Parish Hall but not in the Preschool area), the phone and last but not least, the internet! Fortunately, the internet was an easy fix (same as what we had to do the last time) and PEPCO fixed the problem by 8 pm that night. What is the GOOD NEWS about this? Meeting and getting to know more people (Panda Camp staff) and solving problems together! The icing on the cake? Going back to church to check that the power was restored as promised, I ran into the Manantial de Vida church members who after their church services (Monday night) were beautifying our old vesting room by putting in new updated flooring and painting the entire room!!!!! How wonderful is that??!! And yes the power was fully restored!
The Vestry met last week and discussed several items from our retreat. One is the listening project that was initiated by the Tending Our Soil Team. The TOS team is pulling the information together from the initial interviews to show the Vestry and decide on future plans. The second action item is to garner interest among the congregation to learn more about Action in Montgomery which is an excellent way for us to follow through with our intention for helping our neighbors. A summer training series is being offered by AIM and information about this will be made widely available (in today's eVOICE). This would provide information for those in the congregation who would like to learn more and participate. Finally, some Vestry members will be attending the Courageous Discipleship session on Annual Giving this Saturday to start planning for our Fall Stewardship campaign.
Lastly, here is a prayer from the Prayer Group meeting that Lynnette Clark hosts on Thursdays at 9:15 am. We all loved it and I feel it is perfect for Good Shepherd at this time!
Divine Presence, we humbly ask for your guidance and strength as we show up in our lives today. Help us to be fully present in each moment, to be open to new experiences, and to embrace the opportunities that come our way... Help us to let go of fear and self-doubt, and to step into each moment with grace and confidence. Guide us...in sharing our unique gifts and talents with the world. May our presence be a reflection of your love and light, inspiring others to do the same. Amen.