|
|
From the Vicar:
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I look forward to our Annual Meeting this Sunday following the 9:30 a.m. service.
This year, we will use the Annual Meeting to call two new members to our Bishop’s Advisory Committee – many thanks to Bill Larson and Jim Berg, who have agreed to serve St. Catherine’s in this capacity. We will also remember those who have died over the past year, celebrate our common ministries with a photo presentation, and present our budget for 2015.
Speaking of our budget, we are also finalizing the intake of financial pledges for the year. So let me say a few words about the role that a yearly pledge drive has in the life of our community.
For the church, pledges make it possible to create a realistic budget, meet our financial obligations, and be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us for ministry.
For the individual, I think pledging operates at two different levels, and they are both important. One is the blessing of directly supporting something we value. It is truly a gift to know that we are an integral part of creating and maintaining something bigger than ourselves that has a positive impact in the world. From this perspective, we pledge because we value our community of faith, because we believe in what we are doing together, and we want to see it be the best it can be.
From another perspective, pledging and giving are a way of living the Resurrection. What I mean by this, is that we live in a world that is constantly telling us “there isn’t enough.” The more we buy into the messages of the world, however, the more we are in its power. In contrast, being part of Christian community means seeing a power that is above the power of the world – this is the power of the Resurrected Christ and the Kingdom of God, a power that invites us to literally leave behind the fear of the world, and live according to the values of something higher. So we give, not only because we support our church, but also as a distinctive practice that both forms and reflects our living in the Kingdom. Paradoxically, when we live in the Kingdom of God, we are still in the world, but it no longer has the same power over us.
If this last paragraph sounds strange to you, well, it IS strange. But this is something we grow into, and something I absolutely believe to be true. So, wherever you are in your giving, it’s a journey, and its OK to be wherever you are.
If you have already turned in a pledge card, THANK YOU. Your pledge has been included within our budget, and will be blessed at the altar this Sunday.
If you haven’t made a pledge this year, some of you will receive an invitation to pledge in the mail this weekend. My hope is that you will prayerfully reflect on this as a positive opportunity and as a blessing. Pledge where it brings you joy! We will also have pledge cards at the church, and any Sunday is a great time to fill one out.
Wherever your giving is, please know that every gift, in any amount, is deeply valued. For all of us, my hope is that giving is a journey that brings joy, whenever and however it comes.
Blessings and prayers,
Patricia+
To watch the Ministries and Finance report that was presented on January 11 click here.
Taizé Service: a time of silence, prayer and song
Last Sunday we held our first Taizé service with Crog and Patricia leading the music on cello and guitar. Seventeen people gathered in the sanctuary to participate in this time of deep reflection. Alternating between times of silence and the easily sung chants of Taizé, we experienced an expansiveness in our spirits. One person commented as she stood by the front door -- surely this is the "gate of heaven." A quote from the scripture reading at both all of our services last Sunday but one that spoke to her heart that evening.
Ann+
Book Study Group to Begin Soon
 Our first book will be “Urgings of the Heart: A Spirituality of Integration” - by Wilkie Au and Noreen Cannon.
The group will meet once a week, date it not yet determined so Click here for a survey asking for your preferred gathering time and days if you wish to participate or let us know via email stcatherinemanzanita@gmail.com
Patricia+
Do you want to learn Spanish?
Interested in learning Spanish or improving what you know? Join me in this endeavor. $10 for each session with the Spanish teachers. Time to be decided by those who sign up.
Ann+
Dioceses of Oregon and Ohio raise $15,000+ for Episcopal Relief and Development
From the Diocesan News Online: Donning their best scarlet & gray, the staff at the Bishop's Close pays off on the game challenge. The ERD Challenge numbers for the Dioceses of Oregon and Eastern Oregon are: 286 donations totaling $5,345.56. The Diocese of Southern Ohio (with the Diocese of Ohio pitching in) totaled 297 donations with a dollar amount of $9,925. Great work for ERD for only 3 days! Thanks to all who donated.
If you would like to subscribe to the Weekly Diocesan News click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
