Do any of you remember these lyrics, “Summertime and the living is easy…”? If you do, you may know they are from a Gershwin classic, “Summertime” which is originally from the opera, “Porgy and Bess”. Well, it may be as the song goes on to say, that “fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high” but even though the first official day of summer is next Tuesday, it sure isn’t feeling to me as though the living is easy.
That may be because I am back in school again. One of the requirements for licensing as a pastor in the United Methodist Church is to take what is known as Course of Study. Often part-time clergy like myself will do this for a month in the summer. I have already begun the pre-coursework and will be actively taking classes from the last week of this month through the third week of July. I share this to ask for your understanding and grace if I am not as present as usual at our church while I am meeting this requirement.
As I look at the week ahead, I want to wish all our fathers and the father figures in our lives and the lives of others a very happy Father’s Day! This Sunday is also Juneteenth, an additional reason to celebrate as we remember General Granger arriving in Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865, announcing that according to the Emancipation Proclamation all slaves are free. The federal government holiday for Juneteenth this year will be on Monday, June 20.
Then on Tuesday not only is it officially the first day of summer but our church board will also meet that night in the church fellowship hall at 6:30 PM. Please remember that everyone is invited and welcome to attend this meeting.
Wednesday we will have our Mid-week Bible study, which is online from 6:30 – 7:30 PM. I thoroughly enjoy this study. The discussions are good and offer fresh insights into how God’s Word relates to today’s world. Currently we are reading the book of Exodus and studying God’s instructions for the first Sanctuary. It is interesting to reflect upon how those instructions standup against our care for our Sanctuary.
Thursday will find Hannah’s crew at the church preparing for the food pantry to operate the next day. Often you will also see Ellen and some of the thrift store volunteers getting ready for their hours on Friday and Saturday.
Next week, we are going to have a good old-fashioned hymn sing during our Sunday morning worship. Be thinking this week about which hymns you might like to sing or hear and come prepared to sing our praises to our God, who is blessing us as the life of our church family moves on to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
In His Love,
Pastor Peggy