Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As summer moves toward its end, before fall and the busy season arrives, I am planning to take some days off between August 18-29, so there will not be a weekly letter. I will be here on Sunday August 17 and 24 and for the Wednesday services and bulletin prep, but if you don’t find me when you usually expect to, never fear. I haven’t been kidnapped. (Remember the days when we used to say someone was carried off by the fairies,
instead of by ICE? Oh. Maybe they are a new kind of mean fairies?) And I am always available for emergencies.
On Sunday, Pastor George Grubb will be preaching. I’m excited! All the years I’ve known him and I’ve never had a chance to hear him. It’s always wonderful to hear another voice, taking another approach.
And speaking of other voices, this year the Monday evening Bible study group will be doing something different. As always, there will be an Advent theme during the four Mondays of Advent, using Amy-Jill Levine’s upcoming book A Child Is Born: A Beginner’s Guide to the Nativity Stories. In the fall and winter, however, we’re going to read a large book by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently. This book is about 500 pages long with 13 chapters, so we will split it in two, before Advent and after the New Year. It should be truly intriguing, because as we read, we often wonder, “What was the original meaning of those Scriptures? What was the context? What did these words mean back then?” These two authors are Jewish, but study and teach New Testament. Dates for everything still to come.
Our wonderful webmaster, Jessica Stubits, has once again made flyers and set up an Evenbrite link for us, as we prepare for another grand St. Margaret’s Day weekend, with a Poor Man’s Gambit concert on Friday evening, November 14. A copy of the flyer is attached. Please share it with friends and family and plan to attend. Last year’s concert was almost sold out. We expect this year’s to be even more fun, with some new music the group has added. Here’s the Eventbrite ticket link in case you want to get yours now before they’re gone. (If you’re reading a paper copy of this letter, rather than a digital version, you can go to St. Margaret’s FaceBook page or website to find a link: (stmargaretsemmaus.org.)
Please check the Coming Up list every week, since things are constantly being added.
Praying daily with you, for our nation, our parishes, and the world,
Mo. Laura
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COMING UP!
- August 10 Food Bank In-gathering
- August 11-15 Music Camp, student show at 6:30 on Friday. FREE!
- September 14 Memorial Garden Service
- October 3 5:30-8:00 Pasta Potluck
- October 22 Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends Fundraiser
- November 14 7:00 Poor Man’s Gambit Concert
- November 16 9:00 ST. MARGARET’S DAY SERVICE and Reception
- Wednesdays, noonday prayer via zoom at 12:00
- Saturdays, Seventh Day Adventist congregation, 9:00-3:00