This Sunday @ First Church

Brrrrrrrrrrrbeloved!

Lace up your crampons. Make your way across the tundra. You only have to get as far as the corner of College and Francesca: Andrea, Gary and our other secret snow angels have made a little stretch of Francesca Ave safe for pedestrians everywhere.

There’s something about it being hard to move, that makes getting anywhere a victory. That goes for church. I know what it costs to overcome the inertia of home, bed, introversion, depression, delicious hibernation. But remember the old Jack London story, from 7th grade? We must keep moving, or we die.

Besides, this Sunday holds wondrous things. We have two baptisms: one-year-old Nina Stockwell, and her mother Sarah, will be baptized together. We will celebrate both our sacraments on the same day, as we take communion as well. During communion, you are invited to the back of the sanctuary for healing prayer with our deacons, if you so desire.

Dennis Mariere is our fabulous liturgist; Laura Ruth will pray; choir sings with gusto; Katy and Joe will tend and teach our children until they come up to witness baptism and share in communion with us. I’ll be preaching: on discontenting winters, and the spiritual joy of beginning, again, each new day. Of starting the day by saying, not “God is Good,” but, in fact, “God is Great!” Read Psalm 111 if you want to start celebrating early.

After church: Sacred Conversations, Compassionate Caregivers, Rooftop People. Hot coffee, new friends!

warmly,
Molly

Annual Meeting following worship this Sunday

Please join us for annual meeting this Sunday in the sanctuary directly following worship.

We will be hearing reports from some of our committees. If you are a member of First Church you will have the opportunity to vote on motions that will impact our life together for the next year. ALL participants in our community, no matter the level of commitment or involvement are invited to participate in all of our discussions, and encouraged to attend out annual meeting. Please join us and see how we work together to follow where the spirit leads.

You will find pasted below, and as documents on the Yahoo! Group a copy of the agenda for the meeting.

In addition, pasted below you will find 2 of the items we will be voting on at the meeting. Church Council, and a dedicated subcommittee of leaders, has worked to fashion a new mission statement for the church and a vision statement to guide us for the next few years. This work has been based on brainstorming done at a retreat last year. These statements have been word-smithed and prayed over for many months and it is our hope that you find them to be a guide for us in our common life together.

Blessings,
Ian Tosh
Moderator