Work Day
Work Day—Tomorrow, January 13, 9AM-Noon
Our tasks for tomorrow will be grounds cleanup, acoustic tile (suspended ceiling) removal, more “junk” removal, and sundry odd jobs—something for just about everyone. Please bring:
gas-powered leaf blowers
rakes, shovels, brooms, dustpans
tarps for moving leaves
work gloves
safety glasses, masks (especially if you’re sensitive to dust), hearing protection
small step ladders/step stools
Lots of work that will be better together!
In his book "Salvation on Sand Mountain," journalist Dennis Covington describes his journey in and out of a snake-handling holiness Pentecostal community in the Appalachian Mountains. Though it sounds shocking at first, it is a moving and graceful account of Covington's encounter with deeply faithful, resilient, and enchanting believers. As Covington's relationship with the insular mountain people deepens, they become more open and vulnerable with each other, testing the boundaries of their commitments and their beliefs. Covington's own faith is surprisingly renewed and in the process, his spiritual roots deepen into his native Baptist soil. The time comes for a separation from the small community he had such a powerful impact on him.
The final paragraph is deeply moving to me and I was reminded of it while meditating on Jesus' invitation to Nathanael in our Gospel reading for Sunday. There, Jesus approaches Nathaniel with an astonishing familiarity that changes Nathaniel's life forever.
In Covington's description, his faith journey through the intense, urgent, aching power of snake-handling Pentecostalism led him finally to remember the simpler grace and quieter love of his father. "It's late afternoon at the lake. The turtles are moving closer to shore. The surface of the water is undisturbed, an expanse of smooth, gray slate. Most of the children in my neighborhood are called home for supper by their mothers...But I was always called home by my father, and he didn't do it the customary way. He walked down the alley all the way to the lake. If I was close, I could hear his shoes on the gravel before he came into sight. If I was far, I would see him across the surface of the water, emerging out of shadows and into the gray light. He would stand with his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker while he looked for me. This is how he got me to come home. He always came to the place where I was before he called my name."
Well said. I look forward to exploring Jesus' encounter with Nathaniel this Sunday. And who knows, maybe a little snake handling just to keep things interesting. We'll see.
+ Steve E
Important Upcoming Dates
This Saturday, January 13, 9AM-Noon— Work Day at the church
This Sunday, January 14—Second Sunday Sandwiches, Vestry Meeting
Saturday, January 20, 9AM-Noon— Work Day at the church
Week of February 5—Lenten Small Groups Begin
Wednesday, February 14, 7PM—Ash Wednesday Service
Sunday, March 24—1309 Grand Opening! (Palm/Passion Sunday)
Photo credit: Zan/Unsplash
