Greetings~
I returned late last night from a wonderful week and a half away and am now “reentering,” with all the e-mail, laundry, unpacking and grocery replenishing which that entails! The good news is—the vacation was worth it. Mark and the boys and I had a great time at a family reunion in Maine, followed by two days of walking down “memory lane” in Cambridge, MA (where Mark and I met while in graduate school). So, it was good to get away, and now I’m returning with renewed energy— along with a commitment to remaining somewhat rested and restored!
Sunday’s Worship Theme: This Sunday I’ll be preaching about the idea of reentry in connection with the biblical concept of teshuvah (Hebrew for “return”), and I’ll consider both what it takes to return and what a good return might entail. It seems to me that the act of going away and coming back provides us with the perfect opportunity to engage in the sort of personal reflection which might result in positive transformation. So what questions should we ask before coming back home? Is “home” just the address we write on an application form? Or is there more to it than that? And what about the Household of God?
School Supply Collection: Speaking of reentry and return, many of our children and youth will be returning to school this coming Monday (or the following Tuesday). Thus, I’ve decided to begin two new traditions: 1) a Blessing of the Backpacks for our own kids, and 2) a School Supply Collection for the students who attend the after school tutoring program at Shaw Community Ministry (SCM) downtown. SCM is one of our mission projects, and several of our members volunteer there. The SCM tutoring program is in great need of the following:
* copier paper (they go through a ream a day!)
* PENCILS, PENS (they DO NOT NEED markers or crayons)
* marbled composition books
* money for ink cartridges for their printers
* student dictionaries
* scissors, staples, (not staplers)
* post it notes, scotch tape
* deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, kids’ mouthwash
* toilet paper, laundry detergent (they help with personal hygiene as well)
* bandaids, money to buy items for their first kits.
* Pinesol, all purpose Lysol cleaner, wipes, paper towels, paper products
Please bring any items to be donated THIS SUNDAY, 8/26. We’ll collect them during the Children’s Talk—and bless them along with the backpacks.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
With Joy,
Pastor Ellen