ST. ANDREW'S SIGNPOST
The Rev. Canon Linda Mayer, Vicar
Linda Cox, Bishop's Warden
Bob Beeson, Junior Warden
FEBRUARY 2020
Bishop’s Committee News:
1. St. Andrew’s Annual Meeting—is scheduled on February 23, 2020. A food sign-up sheet is posted in the Parish Hall. Potluck set up February 22 at 10:00 a.m.
2. Shrove Tuesday—is scheduled on February 25th at 5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
3. Ash Wednesday—Service will be held February 26 at 12:00 noon.
4. 2020 Budget—Ed reviewed the 2020 Budget with board members. A motion was passed to approve.
5. Service Music—Marci shared with the board that she feels service music is being well received. She will operate a CD for music this Sunday during Hannah’s absence. She will use her BOSE music player and we can provide feedback if the sound system is sufficient. If so, we may want to purchase a BOSE system.
6. Linda Mayer’s 10 year ordination celebration—Can you believe it has been 10 years since Linda was ordained and began serving St. Andrew’s. Mark your calendars to join us in celebration this June.
Joy Song Carolers—St. Andrew’s was honored to host the Joy Song Victorian Carolers last December. We recently received a very kind thank you note and picture from them.
Dear Friends in Christ,
In this season of Epiphany, we will hear stories that help us see clearly the truth that Jesus is the Light of the world, the Son of God incarnate. This manifestation of the reality of his identity, this "epiphany" to us, takes us from the star shinning bright leading the Wise Men bringing gift, to Jesus shinning bright on the Mount of Transfiguration. In this season we are reminded that we learn the truth of Jesus in gifts offered, in the water of baptism, in testimony given, the healing of disease, and the scripture being taught. When John the Baptist points to Jesus and calls him the Lamb of God two of John's disciples hear him and follow after Jesus. Jesus turns and asked them "what are you looking for?" What are you looking for? This is a vital question. What do we look for? Do we look for epiphanies of Jesus in our daily life today? Do we look for ways to offer Jesus to a hurting world, to offer his words, his love, his healing? Do we look for goodness in the world and celebrate with gratitude the work of God that we see? What we are looking for will shape what we find.
Today, many people are looking for communities where they will be made welcome, where they will be loved and accepted, where they will come to find something greater than themselves. As followers of Jesus, our congregations have what people are looking for - an invitation to follow Jesus in a community of love. We are asked today to help people find what they are truly looking for, not the latest new gadget or a false sense of safety, but the relationship with the living God who came among us and is manifest among us in our everyday life.
Our diocesan council has been discussing our diocesan vision to be creative, compelling witnesses to Jesus Christ in the Inland Northwest, and exploring where we are being called to form new communities of faith to better witness to Jesus Christ. I am writing to invite the whole diocese to join in a year of discernment and prayer for our diocese. We will be in discernment and prayer for where we are being called to plant new communities of faith, where God is inviting us to plant these new faith communities and offer the love of Christ to the people of those areas. While it is easy to rush into great new ideas, it is vital to actually take the time to be in discernment, to intentionally seek God's will for us in this work. I have asked Canon Kristi Phillip to offer a prayer for our diocese to use, and she has written a beautiful prayer for us. This prayer is included at the end of this letter. The prayer picks up on our metaphor of "setting a table in the wilderness," the metaphor chosen by convention as the one that represents the diocese at this point in time. This is the metaphor we have invited the diocese to pray with using different scripture passages over the coming year, it is a great way to help us pray where we are invited to set a new table.
I ask that each congregation offer this prayer weekly during this year. Let us as a whole diocese pray for God's Spirit to lead us in the right paths for this work, let us as whole diocese pray that we might see and know the places that are calling out for our creative, compelling witness to Jesus Christ.
Faithfully,
Gretchen Rehberg
IX Spokane
Ties That Bind
Each group of Bible people shares something in common. From the list below, match the name with the ties that bind them!
DISCIPLES
MISSIONARIES
PROPHETS
FISHERMEN
NOAH’S SONS
SIBLINGS
KINGS
PRIESTS
FAMILY MEMBERS
1. SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON ________________________
2. PETER, JOHN, JAMES ________________________
3. DEBORAH, HULDAH, ANNA ________________________
4. SHEM, HAM, JAPHETH ________________________
5. AARON, MIRIAM, MOSES ________________________
6. ELI, AHIMAAZ, MELCHIZEDEK ________________________
7. NAOMI, RUTH, ORPAH ________________________
8. ANDERS, SIMON PETER, JOHN ________________________
9. PAUL, SILAS, BARNABAS ________________________
Happy Birthday!
Jennifer Anderson—4
Pat LaPorte—8
Tamara Larson—11
Karla Harkins—14
Linda Cox—15
Cris Kollmeyer—17
George McKinzie--22
Terry LaBrue--25
Happy Anniversary!
Shannon and Cris Kollmeyer—5
Ties that Bind: 1.Kings 2. Disciples 3.Prophets 4.Noah’s sons
5.Siblings 6.Priests 7.Family Members 8.Fishermen 9.Missionaries
