From the Pastor's Pen - Feb. 24

Spirit –lifting   Knowledgeable   Relaxing    God lifts us to a new level  These and other words were said about our Parish Retreat last Friday and Saturday. 44 people attended, including four from other parishes. The format was simple: Three excellent Scripture stories, from Lent: The Woman at the Well, the Man Born Blind, and the Raising of Lazarus. As one participant said, all three of these people had an experience of being Reborn in Jesus. That’s what we’re each looking for—I hope—so it’s no surprise that these stories touched our own stories at a deep level.

We meant to make a brief presentation last week on the Parish Budget for the first half of the fiscal year, July to December. It was included in the bulletin, and a small summary is in the pews this weekend. We’ll comment on it briefly. The most important part of it is that our Offertory Giving is up $14,000 from last year. This shows a great spirit of cooperation and ownership of the parish and its mission. It bodes well for us; supporting our strong range of ministries, from youth to seniors, to our own members and to our neighbors.