A big thank you to the guy who keeps the church yard mowed, and to the people who keep the flower beds watered while we wait for it to rain on Duluth. Thanks also to our cleaning crew. It's amazing how messy Pastor Paul can be.
Saturday, June 27:
11 am-12:30 pm: Ruby's Pantry at Mission Creek Church, 521 131st Avenue W.
4:30 pm: Tina M., a regular attendee at Wednesday evening potlucks, will be celebrating Confirmation into the Catholic faith and First Communion at St. James Church (715 N. 57th Avenue W.). Picnic/potluck/bonfire to follow at the home of Amy Johnson at 6:00 pm. Feel free to join us in a healthy way, or drive by and wish Tina well. If you do join in, please BYOB, lawn chair, a mask, and some contribution to the table if possible.
Sunday, June 28:
Worship at 10:30 am: The doors to the church are open and we are welcoming members to worship with us. We are sharing fellowship afterward as well. Social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place.
11:00 am: Church Council will meet right after worship.
Monday, June 29: 5:30 pm: Bible Study meets (note that time is changed to accommodate a change in schedule for some regular participants). Join Pastor Paul as we explore this week's scripture in the lectionary. You are welcome to bring your questions & thoughts and join in. Social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place.
Helping Hands
A church member advises that when she entered the church for the first time in months, she felt the presence of God in a way she had not felt anywhere else. This led to thinking of how we can open the church, in this challenging and stressful time, to those in need of a sanctuary for quiet prayer. Would you be interested in spending some quiet time hosting church space for people who need a space to pray? Volunteers would welcome visitors, inform them of the hygiene protocols in place, and help assure things are kept clean and sanitary. If you are interested, please call or write the church with a schedule of when you would be available.
OFFERING:
For those who have been able to continue with your offering: THANK YOU. We rely heavily on plate giving to meet our building & maintenance expenses, and there is no endowment to see us through lean times. Presently, we are in a lean time. Our income is down for the month of June. What you can give makes a difference. Thanks again.
From Pastor Paul: Toward Sunday
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." ~ Matthew 10:40
Well, I just blew it. Darn. I thought I had it all together and centered on kindness and love and then I go and say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and… – well, you don't need to know the details, just that when all was said and done I felt dejected and defeated.
So I brought it to my morning prayer: "Hey God! You're awesome, and thanks for this day, but man oh man, do I feel dejected and defeated!" And I hear in response the same sort of logic I would give to my children, or we would give one another: "Get back out there and try again." It was one mistake, one error on the field, one missed note in the recital, one awkward encounter, one misspoken word, one time that you lost track of your centering love. It was one day. One experience that had the power to send me in the wrong direction and knock me down.
Only one. So I get back up and I step forward into the next day. I am not defined by one failure, none of us are.
But then I consider how we tend to behave toward people we deeply respect, say, a person with great gifts or talents or kindness and love that we thought had it all together. Then, all of a sudden we hear some dirt about them (you know, they got caught doing something bad or an acquaintance gave an interview that painted them in a different light, etc.). We tend to be quick to write them off.
And if we do that to mentors and heroes and such, how much quicker are we to write off our lesser acquaintance, or the stranger for that matter? We are a people that seek understanding over judgment – it's all at the core of Jesus's teaching and ministry. We are a people that understand that one less-than-ideal experience does not define a person. Can we welcome those people as Jesus would? Can we look past snap judgment and see the whole person? I think the words on the church sign right now put it best: "We all still have a lot to learn." I know I do.
Oh, and don't worry, I'm not in trouble. I claimed my errors and repaired the brokenness and gave a sincere apology and did what I could to make things right. And the good thing is, I'm all the wiser for it. There will be a next time. Pretty sure I'll do better.
Thank you, God, for that.
Keep in touch, friends
Pastor Paul