In the Jewish tradition, the feast of Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. It is a joyful celebration. But then just nine days later they observe Yom Kipper, the most solemn observance in the Jewish faith, a day confession and of atonement for sin. This close association of celebration and confession has puzzled me in the past. But a few years ago, I was invited to preach in a Baptist Church pastored by a friend of mine. They were having their annual revival. But just before the revival, they had celebrated their homecoming. Again, I saw a sequence of events where celebration led into an occasion for re-evaluating life and making a commitment to change. I have come to realize the value of this flow. When we recognize the blessing of God in our lives, we are filled with joy and thanksgiving. But then when we really appreciate the magnitude of the gift, we recognize the need to live lives that are a response to the gift given. Sometimes we realize that the way we have been living is not the way we want to live in the future. In these times we are called to make a change in life, to turn around and go in a different direction. This is literally what it means to repent. Continue reading ‘Lent: a season for change’
Archive for February, 2009
Effective immediately, Virginia (Jennye) Knox has submitted her resignation as our Director of Christian Education and Children’s Ministries. Due to Jennye’s resignation some of our children’s programs will change. We will continue with our Children’s Sunday School during the 10:30AM service. However, we will not start the new children’s program at 9:30AM that had been planned. Also, we are currently evaluating the curriculum to be used. We may not be able to use a program based on the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But remember, during Lent, we will also have a special children’s program during the Sunday night Lent program.
We will miss Jennye. She contributed much to our children. However, even though Jennye will not be with us, our ministry to our children will remain strong. The vestry will decide the direction we should take for the future.
As in prior years, interim contribution statements will be distributed to those who pledged for 2009. In order to reduce the costs of producing and mailing the interim statements, the feasibility of e-mailing statements is being explored. Pledging members who have provided their e-mail addresses to St. Paul’s should expect to have their interim contribution statements e-mailed to them. Interim contribution statements are scheduled for distribution in May, October, and December. Physical statements would only be mailed in January 2010 for full year 2009 giving. Notices will be placed in the bulletin and the monthly Epistle newsletter letting pledging members know when to look for e-mailed contribution statements. Pledging members who have not provided their e-mail addresses to St. Paul’s will have their interim statements mailed to them as in the past. Continue reading ‘Finance Commission Update’
Chris & Stephanie Krafft have set up a Caring Bridge website to keep family and friends update and informed on Samuel’s progress. Here is the link to the website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/samuelk. If the link does not work, you may also go directly to www.caringbridge.org and login using the name “samuelk”. Hopefully this website will help them keep you better informed about Sam’s progress in the future months. They will be updating the journal almost daily and on the site you can request to receive emails alerting you of journal updates.
The deadline for Offerings for Easter Memorial Flowers is Monday, April 6th. Please contact Clare Hawes at (803) 547-2552 for more information.
With the end of the academic year approaching, please let us know of your graduates – High School and College. We would like to recognize them in the May newsletter. Please provide their full names, the school from which they are graduating and the date of their graduation. Because college students sometimes graduate at other times of the year, please let us know whenever a member of your family graduates. We would like to recognize them too.
The March meeting of the E.C.W. Lunch Bunch will be on Wednesday, March 25, at 1:00PM at Savannah’s Tea Room, 108 Springs Street (near Magistrate’s Court), Fort Mill. Please call Sheilah Reuille at (803) 547-6559, or e-mail her at ereuille@fmtc.net if you have any questions.
The Ethnic Restaurant Group will have a Korean dinner at Cho Wan Restaurant in Charlotte on Tuesday, March 17th, at 7:00PM. On Thursday, April 16th, we plan to have a surprise ethnicity dinner with the new chef at the Fish Market Restaurant in Baxter Village at 7:00PM. All are welcome. For details and RSVPs, please contact Tom Tolbert at 803-548-5605 or at tomtolbert@comporium.net .
New to St. Paul’s? Want to find out more about our parish? We will begin a Newcomer’s Class on Monday, March 16th, at 7:00PM. This is an opportunity to meet other people, to discover more about the Episcopal Church and to find out how to get more involved at St. Paul’s. Are you wondering how to use the Prayer Book? Do you want to know more people at coffee hour? Have you been hoping to find out how to become involved in one of our ministries? Well this is a wonderful opportunity to find out more. Continue reading ‘Newcomer Class’
Stewardship? This may seem like the wrong time of the year to talk about stewardship. Often we think of stewardship as something that we do once a year, usually in the fall when we complete our pledge cards. But stewardship is more. Stewardship is about the whole of our lives, how we use the gifts that God has given us: our time, talents, and treasure. Each Sunday at the 8:00AM Eucharist, I quote a verse from I Chronicles 29:14 at the offertory, “All things come of thee O Lord and of thine own have we given thee.” If we believe this, it is important to stop and take time to think about how we will use the gifts that God has given. Continue reading ‘Stewardship’
