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A Message From The Pastors
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Helping Haiti By Dr. Bob It has been so heart-warming to experience the outpouring of love and concern from you, the people of St. Andrew's, to help the victims of the tragic earthquake in Haiti. Over the past couple of weeks you have given over $10,000 for direct aid to those who have lost homes and livelihoods and family members.
We are blessed in the United Methodist Church to have as part of our mission in the world the United Methodist Committee on Relief. This organization goes immediately to any area struck by a disaster and brings direct aid through financial assistance, organizational and management help and spiritual support. Because the administrative costs are funded by local church apportionment money , every penny that is donated for a particular disaster goes directly to the victims and their needs.
As a next step in our help for Haiti, the United Methodist Women are putting together Health Kits for the children and families affected. In the Andy Newsletter, and in a bulletin insert last week, the items that are to be included in the kits are listed. Please help in this effort to give continuing aid to those in such dire need.
This coming Sunday we will look at Jesus' miracle of the "great catch of fish" and the calling of his first disciples. In this miracle on the lake, we feel with Peter our humility before the glory of God and the wonder that Jesus would call even us to follow him. Join us in worship as we celebrate Holy Communion and are blessed to be the Body of Christ in this place. It must be getting close to Labor Day. School has started, football season is kicking off, and we have multiple hurricanes coming across the Atlantic. Please be in prayer for those in the path of Earl, which looks like a major storm, if there ever was one. The words roll off our lips so easily sometimes: I will pray for you. We hear of tragic losses or heart wrenching injustice and our intention is to bring them before God in prayer. So, we utter those words, 'I will pray for you.' The thing is, though, that for many of us, we continue through our day and we never think of it again, at least not until we run into that friend again or read yet another article about the situation for which we intended to pray. The hot, "lazy" days of summer are winding down. Even as a say that, I know that for most of us there weren't many "lazy" days this summer and the "hot" will continue. But, ready or not, it is "back to school" time and back to busier schedules and more hectic days for most of us. Before we get inundated with activities, before we find ourselves caught up in the flood of family needs and work issues, I hope we will take a little time to consider the bigger picture. This Sunday we are going to think about God's vision for us and for our world. |
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