Friday August 12, 2016
An eNote from Rodney
Dear Trinity Congregation,
We are getting away a day late but Cheryl and I will join all her family and be at North Topsail Beach sometime tomorrow and stay for a week. We will be gone the Sundays of August 14 and 21. On the 14th of August our new District Superintendent, the Rev. Beth Crissman, will be preaching. Lindsay Pharr will lead the service and Lee will be singing. On August 21, the Rev. Luke Lingle will be preaching, Cathi Durham will lead the service and Karl Ruch will sing some of his music. These will be very good services with good music and sharp young preachers. Let me encourage you to come and be a part of God’s message that they bring to us.
Some of you know that my joke is that once I return from the beach it’s Christmas. I just watched the previews for the new Stars Wars movie “Rogue One.” It opens in December and it looks great. I love the fall, our festival and then Thanksgiving then Advent. Football. What a great time of the year.
Save the Date, Sunday August 28: On August 28, while the choir is on break, the Trinity Strings are going to play a few numbers and we will sing a couple of ole-timey congregational hymns.
After that we will go downstairs for some barbeque. The church will provide the Q, chips, a little slaw, buns and drinks. We are inviting you to bring a salad, slaw, side or dessert. $5.00 a plate and no more than $20 per family. The youth will put it together and serve it and keep the profits for their mission fund. Sounds like fun. We will have a reservation form in the bulletin to help us get an idea of how many will eat lunch. You can also call the office at 828-253-5471 to make a reservation.
An introduction: Some of you liked the little story I read last Sunday about the pre-born twins talking to each other. That story was written by Dutch Catholic priest Henri Nouwen. Nouwen was a serious intellectual and taught at Yale. He wrote lovely books about spirituality and pastoral ministry. He left the academic world in the late nineties and became the spiritual leader of the L’Arche community in Toronto, Canada. L’Arche is a worldwide Christian based community that ministers to adults with severe learning difficulties. Probably Nouwen’s most popular book was “The Wounded Healer.” I’ve been thinking something of his might be worth a read or reread.
Thank you for this time away. I will worship at Faith Harbor United Methodist Church in Surf City on Sunday morning. They have an early morning beach service but I like going to their church. If you can make a church feel like you are at the beach, they have done it. Y’all have a good couple of Sundays and come and meet Beth Crissman and Luke Lingle.
Sincerely,
Rodney