weekly letter

June 11, 2008

 

Greetings to all!

 

Father's Day, like Mother's Day, provides an opportunity to reflect on our respective "vocations" as parents and children.  Catholic spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen, offers the following thoughts on parenthood.

 

     Being a parent is like being a good host to a stranger!  While we may think that our children are like us, we are continually surprised at how different they are.  We can be gladdened by their intelligence, their artistic gifts, or their athletic prowess, or saddened by their slowness in learning, their lack of co-ordination, or their "odd" interests.  In many ways we don't know our children. We didn't create our own children, nor do we own them.  This is good news.  We don't need to blame ourselves for all their problems, nor should we claim for ourselves their successes.

     Children are gifts from God.  They are given to us so that we can offer them a safe, loving place to grow to inner and outer freedom.  They are like strangers who ask for hospitality, become good friends, and then leave again to continue their journey.  They bring immense joy and immense sorrow precisely because they are gifts.  And a good gift, as a proverb says, is "twice given." The gift we receive, we have to give again.  When our child leaves us to study, to look for work, to marry, to join a community, or simply to become independent, sorrow and joy touch each other.  Because it is then that we feel deeply that "our" child isn't really "ours" but given to us to become a true gift for others.

     It is so hard to give our children their freedom - especially in this violent and exploitative world. We so much want to protect them from all possible dangers.  But we cannot.  They do not belong to us.  They belong to God, and one of the greatest acts of trust in God is letting our children make their own choices and find their own way.

(from Here and Now)

The scripture lessons for Sunday, June 15, the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

     Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)

     Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

     Romans 5:1-8

     Matthew 9:35 - 10:8 (9-23)

 

Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, June 15, 10am, in Trinity Hall.  Our focus this Sunday will be the 4th installment of the Walnut Hill Working Group, an opportunity to talk together about issues affecting Walnut Hill's life and ministry.  Our June Working Group will follow-up and update some recent Working Group conversations concerning our buildings/grounds, refugee resettlement work, and our worship book project.  Feel free to attend, have a cup of coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.

 

The Vestry will meet this Sunday, 9:30am, in Trinity Hall.

 

Men's Dinner:  Walnut Hill men are invited to gather for dinner on Tuesday, June 24, 6pm, at Joseph Beth Booksellers Cafe (private dining room).  Our guest speaker for the day will be a new neighbor from Iraq who recently came to the United States with his family.  He has a compelling story to share.  Use the sign up sheet in the sanctuary foyer, call the church office, or contact Gene Brockopp to rsvp.

 

Walnut Hill Worship Book - The first draft of the new Walnut Hill Worship Book will be in the pews this Sunday, June 15, to be used throughout the summer.  This provisional, informal edition of the new worship book is intended for congregational comment and revision, with the final edition to be published later this year. 

 

Thanks to all those involved in our recent "Weekend Together" including...Nell Horman and Lauren Fouts for their work with the children, Angela Hurley and the Choir for their leadership of hymn singing and Evensong on Friday evening, David Sharrard for leading the Sunday morning session on music from the gospel tradition, Ashley Clark for childcare service on Friday evening, the children for their music presentation on Sunday morning, and all the children and adults who participated in the weekend activities.  We will look forward to next summer's "Weekend Together."

 

Peace to all.

 

Mike Ward