Dear Brothers and Sisters,
WHAT A WEEK! As I sit in my office, with the door carefully closed, the voices of a dozen teenagers are echoing through the walls. When I go downstairs to fetch my lunch from the refrigerator, another dozen are embroiled in a live Bachelorette scene. “Where would you take this lovely Bachelorette on a date????” Whispered prompts from a coach, “Make up a whole long story.” As I climb the stairs, I don’t hear the dream destination, but in the 90+ degree sun, I think of the shore, with a cooling sea breeze. And then there is the thunder of two dozen young, enthusiastic feet bounding up and down the stairs.
I’m not watching some sort of movie. It’s the summer theater music camp, taught by Professor Ellie Escher, going on all week at St. Margaret’s. Camp has been here for a number of years in the past, but it has been closed by COVID till this year. Students start their day in the parish hall with yoga, then come upstairs to the church to begin their work. “LaLaLaLaLaLaLa,” they sing the scale up and down for warm up. “HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!” they chant. Then the fun (for me, at least) begins as they practice the songs and dances they are learning, work on talent-building exercises, and expand their creative horizons. I am hearing some absolutely amazing voices!
3:30. Sudden silence throughout the building. The excitement is over till tomorrow. It will build throughout the week, until Friday evening at 6:00 when the fruit of the students’ hard work will be revealed to the world: their closing performance. If it is anything like it was in the past, the church will be filled with family, friends, well-wishers and members of St. Margaret’s, who are invited to enjoy the musical, dance, and theatrical offerings of dedicated people who have given up a week of their precious summer time for Music Camp.
But that’s not all! My door is closed, not to keep out the wonderful music I’m hearing, but because I am working hard at putting together a diocesan retreat day on Prayer Beads—how to make them and how to use them for prayer and meditation. It will be held all day Saturday in the newly cleaned and painted space of the St. Barnabas Center in Kutztown (the former St. Barnabas parish). A number of folks from St. Margaret’s will be attending, as well as people from other parishes. More fun!
A stewardship meeting, the Wednesday and Sunday services, our devoted sexton in every day to tidy up and sanitize for the next day, and, of course, all the things you are all doing to support St. Margaret’s efforts to live the Good News, so, yes, it IS QUITE the week!
Joy to you **all** as we **all** continue to worship and serve together!
Mo. Laura+
Upcoming Events
Wednesday Oct 20 – Sunday Oct 23 – Icon Worship at St. Margaret’s, Emmaus PA