Your pastor's heart is full of love, joy, and peace. Linda and I will have forty notches on the marital belt by the time you read this. Of course the belt is a good bit wider than we started with, both figuratively and literally, but that's life, as they say. It has been a privilege to be married to her. You could build a pretty good civilization around her if you had to. By now you all know what a great asset she is for my ministry. But you have probably noticed that United Methodist ministers usually marry up the food chain.
I am happy to report that our pews will be re-upholstered much sooner than we thought. The Trustees have given the job to Antonio Colon, son of the late Dorothy Colon. He has twenty-five years of experience and is a well regarded local craftsman and businessman. We expect him to be finished with the job in a few weeks. So we will sit in the old drab pews one Sunday and on the new maroon pews on the next Sunday. People wonder about "If walls could talk."; I wonder what church pews would have to say. Better not go there. By the way, we are still about $500 short of the cost for this job. We will use Dorothy Colon memorial money, if we have to, but I would like to use that for the rest of the sanctuary refurbish so, if you haven't contributed yet, now would be a good time.
Speaking of money, (somebody is muttering, "Isn't he always?"), our giving has come in pretty well over the summer months. Thank you. I am still hoping and praying that we will have a big finish and be able to pay 100% of our Conference Apportionments by year's end. Join me in prayer and "second-mile" giving to bring this to pass to the glory of God.
I am also happy to learn that the UMC and the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) are now family.
We were always "kissin' cousins", but now we are more like brothers and sisters in Christ. Both churches will accept the other's baptism, share equally in the Eucharist, join in mission programs and projects, accept the validity of each others ordinations, and I think, make cross denominational pastoral appointments. Jesus must be grinning ear to ear as more of his people help to answer his prayer "that they all may be one." Hallelujah!
Don't know about you, but I really enjoyed our little Methodist Purim Festival on August 23rd. Great job. Thespians! I have never been boo'd in church before. I hope everyone realized I was portraying the enemy, Haman.
See you in Church, APUMC!
Pastor Carl
P.S. I am also happy to invite the church to Yasha Puzankov's baptism at Camp Twinlow on Sunday September 6th at 3:00 PM. Social Hour to follow. Yasha desires to be baptized by immersion in Twinlow Lake.