Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In the “regular” world, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is filled with reflections on the year just past. How many times have we heard moaning and seen hand-wringing for all the New Year’s Resolutions of the previous year that fell by the wayside within a few days of January 1, with oaths that “next year we’ll do better.” It’s a time for finding the 10 best you-name-its: movies, songs, foods. And arguing about whether Time Magazine’s Person of the Year lived up to his/her title. The time provides the opportunity for everyone to stop, catch their breaths, do an informal inventory of the past year, and ponder their hopes for the new year.
You all know that the church’s calendar is often out of sync with the rest of the world’s. In the middle of Lent, we’re fasting, while everyone else is eating corned beef and cabbage and drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.
St. Margaret’s Annual Meeting Day is, in some ways, like the secular New Year’s Day, except out of sync. And the end of January, instead the beginning, a number of us spend a couple of weeks before hand, looking back at 2023, thinking about what we have done, and where we fell short of our hopes. We spend time dreaming with God about where St. Margaret’s might go in the next year. We write our lists—not so much resolutions, as goals and plans, and create reports for the ministry areas where we serve. Then, on the big day, we come together for prayers, songs and Eucharist– a wonderful family gathering around God’s table—then adjourn downstairs to gather around buffet tables. After a time of joy and shared hilarity (it wouldn’t be St. M’s if there weren’t plenty of laughter!), we sit down to review the year together and to do the business of the church. Our brothers and sisters in the online community join us as they are able, thanks to the wonders of technology.
Annual Meeting Day is important for much more than just the hour or so spent in the meeting. It is important for us to come together as people of God, to share our devotion and dedication to the parish to which we have been called. It is important for us to honor the vast amount of work it takes to keep things going, and the people who undertake it. And it is central, on this day of all days, for us to be together, thanking God for the many blessings we continue to receive and seeking wisdom and guidance as we go into the new year. Besides, if there is not a quorum, we can’t actually do any business!
I encourage you strongly to join us all for this joyful day together, February 4. Eucharist at 9:00. Expanded coffee hour following. Annual Meeting at 11:00.
JOY!
Mo. Laura+
Coming Up
- Friday – January 26th, 6:00 p.m. – Soup Potluck (sign up at church or send an email with what you plan to bring and how many are coming: smec@rcn.com)
- Sunday – February 4th, 11:00 a.m. – Annual Meeting, in person or on zoom
- Sunday – February 11th, 9:00 a.m. – Commissioning and Blessing of All Worship Leaders in the morning service
- Monday – February 12th, 7:00 p.m. – Lenten Book Study begins (send email to Mo. Laura for zoom link)
- February 14th, Ash Wednesday
- 12:00 Noonday Prayer
- 1:00 – 4:00 “Ashes to go” at church (call first)
- 7:00 – 8:00 Ash Wednesday Service, with imposition of ashes