Summer is officially upon us. This week we saw the longest days of the year, just shy of 15 hours of daylight in our area. We also witnessed a full moon on the solstice. Summer is being welcomed in grand style.
If you have been following the church or school Facebook pages you know that our flat "Church Cat & Regal Eagle" have been seen at the movies, at a concert, at a stable ready to ride a horse. They have been in Atlanta, Saint Thomas VI, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro. The adventures are only beginning, there are many more to come, so get your camera or phone and submit those photos. We still have not seen Church Cat & Regal Eagle at a backyard barbecue or a parade. We haven't even seen them at church... but I am sure they have been there.
Summer is busy in many ways. And it is busy here at Saint John's. A new shipment of palm crosses was received and now await your quality control checks. While I was at a conference Tammy and Jorge were busy cleaning and organizing the new prayer room just off the parish hall behind the kitchen. This space is beautiful, it is an inviting place to sit in the presence of God. Thank you to those who unloaded the shipment of palm crosses, thank you to Tammy and Jorge for the new prayer space - muchas gracias.
It has also been busy with our "Bell Tower" fund. To date, 19 families have shared with the church some of the abundance that God has given to them; we are blessed to have received $25,400 towards our efforts and thankful for such committed parishioners - thank you all. Soon you will see new paint on the bell tower, and new carpet in the entry way of the church. Other projects will be addressed as bids are received. How wonderful it will be to see the outside of the church building reflect the vibrancy that is on the inside.
With busy lives and people traveling near and far it is easy to loose track of how much is happening at Saint John's during the summer. It is also easy to loose track of our pledges; however the bills and financial commitments of the church continue whether you are here or not. Please consider paying your summer stewardship pledges in advance of your travels, or perhaps set up electronic payments. We know that you are committed to Saint John's, this is just one way to make our summer brighter.
And if you think it is busy now, wait until next year when it will be Saint John's 175th anniversary. I am looking for a few people to begin forming ideas for a celebration worthy of Saint John's long and continuing ministry, please let me know if you feel called to help with this celebration.
I am often asked if I like it here, after all we have been together for two months now, and the simple answer is yes. I never doubted that I would; what has impressed me though is the love for the parish and for each other that I have witnessed. That is a wonderful expression of God's love and a welcoming to all who witness it.
