Blue skies and sunshine! As we embrace this time of year and explore the beauty of creation, please know that I am praying for your enjoyment and safety. And if you are staying here – aren’t we the lucky ones to be surrounded by God’s generous gift here in the Pacific Northwest?! I encourage all of us to embrace the practice of praying in gratitude moment by moment as we go about our days. And when the moments are challenging, pray for patience and the ability to see God’s loving presence even then.
The next six months are the “Season after Pentecost”, also called “Ordinary Time.” Not because it’s not a special time, rather ‘ordinary’ refers to numbers assigned in sequence to each week as a way to count to Advent, the season when we anticipate Christmas.
For this summer season, St. Anne’s liturgical team selected prayers, liturgy, and music to encourage joy and celebration as we gather each Sunday morning. In addition, we will have only one reading from the New Testament and a Gospel from “The Message” translation of the Bible. Written by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments between 1993 and 2002, this offers a contemporary presentation that “keeps the language of the Message (Bible) current and fresh and understandable”. As a Presbyterian pastor, Peterson was always looking for a way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people reading it, making it for some more approachable. For some the new sound of scripture can be annoying, but it does get us all considering new ways to understand the experiences of Jesus and his first followers.
Please look at all the worship and fun options available to you this summer at St. Anne’s that are listed in our on-line calendar. A few printed copies of this newsletter will be available in the back of the church as well. Below is a prayer I found, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Dear God,
Let us revel in summer.
Let us soak up the long days and warm sun.
May our feet walk on sandy beaches and our heads rest on thick grass under blue skies.
May we listen to and marvel at the singing of the birds and stop to watch blissful children at play
This summer, God, may our breathing slow and our hearts open. God help us to be present to all that is so that we might best see all that might be. ~David Johnson
Love,
Annie+