Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See, on the portals he’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. “Come home, come home! You who are weary come home.” Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, “O sinner, come home!”
ELW #608 Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling (Will L. Thompson)
A confession: for over a week, I had convinced myself that I had already written this newsletter article! Karen frantically searched the computer files where I normally place this, and alas, there was none to be found. Not wanting to bother me, she asked Rich to scour our network of computer files, and again … nothing came up. Finally, they asked me – and I went through all the searching that they had already done … and I was saddened when I hadn’t found some really creative gem that I had already penned.
Having taken a couple weeks of vacation, and then spending another week fully immersed in Vacation Bible School sort of threw my timing off. Summer has a way of affecting some of us that way. It’s such a great season of fun and family time at the shore, theme parks, traveling, ball games, and extra work around the house and yard.
How about you? Has summer thrown your timing off? Have no fear! Like the lyrics in the song above, you are always being called home to your church family at St. Mark’s. When you’re not here, we miss you.
When you’re not here, there’s one less voice praising God. When you’re not here, there’s one less smiling face that just makes someone else’s week. When you’re not here, you are missed. I hope you will come to church soon to join your worshipping community.
We will be launching our 2018-2019 program year on September 9th. It’s our “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday of service. We will be serving a light breakfast between services and engaging in several service projects in our parish hall, that will benefit Cathedral Kitchen in Camden. We really will need your help. All ages are welcome, in fact, we encourage the inter-generational aspect of this particular gathering. It will be fun … none of the service work is hard, just repetitive.
Come home …
In Christ’s peace!
Pastor Jay