the The Newsletter for Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
September 2015
Benediction
3
the
Prime Timers Say Goodbye to Bob and Valerie
7
Church Closed – Labor Day
16
Women of Saint Michael Luncheon
23
Inquirers’ Series Begins
Men of Saint Michael Breakfast
25
Feast of Saint Michael 70th Anniversary Farewell to the Dannals
27
Everything and everyone changes, except for one thing; the abiding, restorative love of God revealed in Jesus Christ and known through the power of the Holy Spirit. Liturgies shift, priorities are switched, buildings are renovated, employment is downsized, industries are transformed, those in public office step down, and rectors retire. And yet, in the midst of a changing environment, we are brought every morning to a sense that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God told Abraham and Sarah to leave their ancestral home in Ur, to go south to a new land. As they went, they took a great leap of faith into the unknown. Abraham, Sarah, you and I are in progress, underway, always on a journey. At a deep level, God’s call and Christian ministry are always itinerant. And what is our assessment of our life together at Saint Michael and All Angels? To answer this question, I draw on an important story of the New Testament. After the resurrection, the Gospel of John gives us a poignant conversation between Peter and Jesus. Peter has returned to his mainstay of running a fishing business. It had been a complex and life-changing few years on the road with Jesus. And there by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus asked Peter three times: “Do you love me?” Notice that Jesus didn’t ask Peter, “How much money have you raised?” “What new programs have you started?” “What’s wrong with the youth program?” “What do you think of cont. on page 31
Volume 27 No. 9
Saint Michael Launches Year of Discovery and Growth Saint Michael and All Angels is launching its new academic year with programs that will lead us to discover new depths to our faith, and help us grow in service to God’s children and church. This edition of the Archangel is a guide to Christian education and formation for everyone in our parish, from the youngest to the oldest. It outlines opportunities to serve our neighbors down the street, across town, and around the world. It offers ways to reflect on what God has done for us…and what we can do for God. We invite you to read it and get connected.
Join Us Sunday, September 27,
as we Celebrate
The Feast of Saint Michael And Farewell to the Dannals