[Parish] Stewardship, Loneliness, Blankets and the Self

[Malcolm Young]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sunday we’ll be doing some important work together in thinking  
further about the future of the church.  We will gather pledge cards  
during the two services and then we’ll have a conversation in the  
parish hall after the 10:00 a.m. service to talk about the resources  
we have available for doing ministry together.  Bring your ideas and  
questions along with your pledges.

The youth group is still looking for blankets and coats to take to an  
Episcopal homeless shelter.

I was speaking to Eula Dolby on the 24th anniversary of Jim’s death.   
We were thinking it would be wonderful to gather up a group to meet  
on a few consecutive Thursday afternoons in January to talk about  
spiritual resources in the face of grief and loneliness.  What we  
need is someone who could get us together and work with me to design  
a program for the group.  If you feel called to this ministry please  
let me know right away.

I’m also looking for reading suggestions for our annual Epiphany book  
group.  What should we study together this Epiphany?

Sunday’s 9:00 a.m. forum will be on Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

If you are interested in doing a Nonviolent Communication training,  
Ursula Duncan will be providing a training session in Woodside on  
Nov. 21.  Let me know if you want more details.  I do expect to have  
her back to Christ Church this spring too.

The fourteenth century Domincan preacher and mystic Meister Eckhart  
wrote, “Begin, therefore, with yourself, and forget yourself.”  My  
old history teacher, Margaret Miles, to clarify this explained that  
“the self identified and strengthened in religious practice is the  
self in relationship to God.  The goal and practice of Christianity  
is to make this self strong enough to form the center around which  
the whole personality can be organized, so that, as Gregory of Nyssa  
put it, the two aspects of the person, the body and soul, can become  
one, and a “harmony of dissonant parts” can be achieved."

I just came in from a short walk around our block under Cassiopeia’s  
starry throne on this cool fall night.  Everything seems strangely  
silent.  May God bless you out there with the peace that passes  
understanding.

Love,

Malcolm