Reflections from Pastor Penny

How's your summer going? As I spend more time recovering from surgery here's what's on my mind:

Reading! The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. William P. Young. One of the best books I've ever read! Amazing thoughts about who God is, and an unusually helpful view of the deep love of God has for each of us/ Cannot recommend it highly enough.

Three Bags Full -- "a sheep detective story;" a mystery/history from the church library, plus another try at Einstein.

Weeding? Maintaining the Garden?  Nope. Waiting for YOU all to come visit on July 13th for our church picnic.  Eric and I are delighted to providing the space in our backyard. Here’s the plan for the Church Picnic:

-- come to worship in picnic clothes -- and come over to our house…

-- Car pool? Get a map in the church office, or at our web site.

                        Fellowship Ministry Team will do the food and your presence is a gift!

Dreaming of St. Paul's future! Always . . thinking, asking questions of God, praying for insight and wisdom for all of us in our move with St. Paul's UMC into the 21st century.

One of the ways we can show that we are serious about change is to do some changing.  I am concerned that our plans at St. Paul's are only surface deep -- and that we aren't really reaching down deep down enough to find the change that new life will really mean.  I'm thinking about myself, (you can listen in).  I wonder if I am challenging our congregation in the ways that we need to be stretched to move into the future.

St. Paul's is in very serious threat of dying unless we can become a place of welcome and openness to young people, new people, and people without previous religious experience.  This is going to mean that -- for all of us -- there are experiences that are new. I deeply trust, that God will show us all kinds of fresh ways to express our faith.

Joy,

Penny

Interim Pastor