So, fine. It's a bit odd that I'm excited about a bunch of blue plastic, 16 oz. stadium cups. But they're here...and they look good (resplendent with their Grace 100th Anniversary logos)...and we can hand them out on Sunday at the big Centennial Picnic.
I think this is going to be great fun. Worship outside under the trees...you can listen to the birds singing and quite often spot an eagle overhead. We'll sing and pray. We'll speak and hear the Word. We'll share memories of ministry past and hopes for mission yet to come. And then all that good potluck food afterwards, along with plenty of time to continue visiting, telling stories, etc. And we'll be drinking our lemonade in blue plastic cups that are marked for the day.
100 years is a long time...at least it seems so when you're only 50. What a great blessing for this place to have been around that long. Apparently, God really is gracious. This Sunday, we'll celebrate that as we raise our blue plastic cups in thanksgiving for all that has been and for all that will be. Sounds like a good time.
25 July 2006
22 July 2006
Surprised Again...
So...it's about time I checked back in here after a wild couple of months. I distinctly remember someone saying to us as seminary students: "Sure, it's busy in the fall, winter and spring; but summer's pretty quiet."
That was a lie.
Lest I complain too much, however, it has been a good kind of busy. I'm constantly amazed (apparently I'm a slow learner) at the generosity of folks in this place, and at their sense of call to participate in the mission of the church. Back in mid-May, it looked like our little expansion project wasn't going to happen. The construction bids came in way higher than the estimates...so much so that, in spite of having raised more money than we thought we needed, we were still $25,000+ short. So the leadership of the parish and I are dreading this congregational meeting where we're going to have to make a decision to hold on the project. Then two families come forward and write the checks for what we need. As a consequence, there's a hole by the front door, a jack-hammer on the sidewalk, and some guys climbing on the roof. And by early September we'll have a gathering space that's twice as big as it was before. Very cool.
One of these days I'm going to learn more about faith and how to relax into it.
That was a lie.
Lest I complain too much, however, it has been a good kind of busy. I'm constantly amazed (apparently I'm a slow learner) at the generosity of folks in this place, and at their sense of call to participate in the mission of the church. Back in mid-May, it looked like our little expansion project wasn't going to happen. The construction bids came in way higher than the estimates...so much so that, in spite of having raised more money than we thought we needed, we were still $25,000+ short. So the leadership of the parish and I are dreading this congregational meeting where we're going to have to make a decision to hold on the project. Then two families come forward and write the checks for what we need. As a consequence, there's a hole by the front door, a jack-hammer on the sidewalk, and some guys climbing on the roof. And by early September we'll have a gathering space that's twice as big as it was before. Very cool.
One of these days I'm going to learn more about faith and how to relax into it.
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