Rev. Craig Goodrich

Summer is on the way again! Many of you have returned to your northern homes. We miss you and hope you are continuing to worship with us online. As we look back on the month of May, the highlights include our recognition of “milestones” or graduations on Sunday, May 15. The photo on the cover of this Outreach captures those moments. That same morning we also celebrated with Dr. Brice Gerlach as we sent him off on his muchdeserved sabbatical. The following Sunday was “Staff Recognition” Sunday in which we recognized your dedicated staff, particularly those who have served 5, 10, 15 or 20 years including Ashley Hancock, Christian Education Assistant (5 years) and Kathleen Law, Communications Coordinator (20 years) and the following preschool teachers and aides: Sara Lezgus, Jean Oppegaard (5 years), Claudia Clarke, Marylee Finman, Isabella Sala-Junkroski (10 years), Colleen Kennedy (15 years). We have welcomed Bob Henstein as our interim summer Director of Music, David Fister our AV technician and who is the subject of this month’s “Staff Spotlight”, and Debbie Savage who will be joining us as our new Director of Finance. Do take the time to read thoroughly this edition of the Outreach. There is much for which to be grateful and much for which to be hopeful. Finally, as I write this there has been another school massacre, this time in Texas. How weary, angry and frustrated we are! We cry out “How long, O Lord?!” And when we add the racially motivated shooting in Buffalo, the war in Ukraine, inflation, political divisions, and the fact that COVID-19 is still with us, well, it can all be overwhelming. So what do we do? May I suggest we start with where we are, locally, in our own spheres of influence. That we seek to be channels of God’s love, compassion and justice where we are. A prayer that has helped me in this, and which I have shared with many of you, I offer again as a way to be free of our fears and anxieties and to be open to those positive overwhelmings of the love and power of God. Here is “My Morning Prayer” by Wallace Fridy:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 ESV)

“O God, for another day, for another morning, for another hour, for another minute, for another chance to live and serve Thee, I am truly grateful.” Do Thou this day free me from all fear and anxiety of the future, from all anxiety about tomorrow, from all bitterness towards any one, from all cowardice in the face of danger, from all laziness in the face of work, from all failure before opportunity, from all weakness when Thy power is at hand. But fill me with Love that knows no barrier, with Sympathy that reaches to all, with Courage that cannot be shaken, with Faith strong enough for the darkness, with Strength sufficient for my tasks, with Loyalty to Thy Kingdom’s goal, with Wisdom to meet life’s complexities, with Power to lift me to Thee. Be Thou with me for another day, and use me as Thou wilt.

For Christ’s sake I pray. Amen.

Blessings and peace to you.

Faithfully and Gratefully,

FROM THE PULPIT June 5 - Pentecost Rev. Craig Goodrich June 12 - Trinity Sunday Rev. Winston Lawson June 19 - Father’s Day Rev. Craig Goodrich June 26 Nancy Van Fleet