6 Easter: Memorial Day Weekend; Farewells Continue; Garden Clean-up

May 24, 2019
Dear Hearts,
It's a bittersweet day in the Rectory today.  Pat Wakefield is finishing up, tidying up and cleaning out her desk, concluding 21 years of ministry with Christ Church as our Parish Administrator. This week I've been asking where to find stuff, or how to do this, that, and the other.  Pat is one of the keepers of the parish's institutional memory, has been one of the steady anchors for our parish's life, and she will be dearly missed, We will officially express our gratitude and farewells to Pat on Sunday, June 9, at our Annual Parish Picnic.

So that we can send Pat & Curtiss off with a taste of the South, our InReach folks are encouraging us to look through our recipes for southern side dishes and desserts, e.g. southern cole slaw, southern potato salad, chess pie, etc.  They're asking us to sign-up!  There'll also be southern fried chicken, sweet tea, plus the usual hamburgers and hot dogs.  

There's a gift in the works for Pat to remember us by, but we're also collecting funds for a purse.  Those funds may be mailed, dropped by the parish office, or placed in the offering basin. "Thanks & Farewell" envelopes for Pat will be available on the Ushers' Table; and envelopes for Laurie are still available.  Please make your checks out to Christ Church with "Pat" and/or 'Laurie' on the memo line.

Since this is Memorial Day Weekend, our Sunday School will not meet this Sunday, May 26.  That's why we held our official "Thank-you & Good-bye" to Miss Laurie last Sunday.  The children had created their own farewell and thank-you cards which they presented during the 10a.m. service.  I presented her with a card on behalf of the whole parish that contained two lovely ECW gift-card holders containing heftily charged-up gift cards. Sunday School parents, teachers and Faith Formation leaders hosted a tasty reception so we could say our personal good-byes and thank-yous.  Thanks to all of you who have contributed to our expressions of gratitude to, and prayers and best wishes for Laurie and daughter Stevie's next adventure in their home state of North Carolina.

Laurie will be with us on Sunday watching over the Nursery one last time; so there's still an opportunity to go downstairs and express your farewells.

In Sunday's bulletin, you'll find a wish-list from Junior Warden Alicia Bacon about garden clean-up tasks.  Alicia is inviting us, at a time convenient to our schedules, to come and do a little weeding, or a little pruning, or maybe a little weeding and a little pruning.  The goal is to have the garden looking especially lovely for the June 9th picnic.  Alicia has been here several days last week and again this week getting the beds in front of the Parish House looking sharp.  Please consider her invitation to help out at a time that works for you!

On Sunday, as part of our observance of Memorial Day, we'll be singing of "heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life!" To conclude Sunday's Prayers of the People, I'll get to offer one of the Prayer Book's gems -- Thanksgivings "For Heroic Service."(p.839). In that prayer, we remember before God "the men and women of our country who in day of decision" served and sacrificed to preserve our nation.

Thanks to the Evening ECW for the terrific soup, bread and desserts they served up last Saturday.  I've heard that the Library's Paperback Book Sale was a tremendous success.  I hope that the EECW's efforts were crowned with glory, as well. Fortunately for some of us, leftovers were available for take-out on Sunday morning; after another donation, I was set for a couple more delicious meals.  Thanks again! 

We wound up our Tuesday evening conversations about Joan Chittester's book The Gift of Years this past week, but will continue at this Sunday's Rectory Forum.  Quite apart from the interesting conversation, a special treat for our last Tuesday gathering was the marvelous salad and amazing desserts.  Many thanks to the Rev. Lynda Tyson for introducing us to Sr. Joan!

On Thursday we concluded our Spring season of Thursday morning Bible Study on the Book of Revelation with a stirring "new song" that Handel would include in Messiah.(see chapter 11)  We will return to Revelation again in the fall.

In the meantime, perhaps I'll see you at the parade, or at the Keeping Society picnic, or even for worship!  Wherever your Memorial Day plans take you, please be careful, have fun, and give thanks for those "who ventured much for the freedoms we now enjoy,"  
 With Easter faith, hope, and love,
Harrison+
YFNR