41 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-5980
Rector's ramblings - MAY 2004
What fun to welcome back those who have been various points south for the winter! Of course we have had some windy, cold days just to remind them we do live in the north.
On a recent Sunday it seemed that a huge number of familiar faces had all decided to be away on the same weekend. Whole sections of the church were empty except for one or two family members who didn’t make the trip. It was quite a phenomenon, and I am glad it doesn’t happen very often. But it did remind me of how we come to expect people to be where they regularly are each week in church.
I have also noticed over the years that when I inquire about those not there someone usually knows that they are away or visiting relatives. This demonstrates that we are aware of those around us and keep up with them in their lives beyond the church. There are friends who meet to attend church together, families that do the same and individuals who rejoice in worshipping with others and gaining a sense of family through the church. Our Wednesday 12:10 pm service with healing has grown and has folks not always able to attend on Sundays. It has its own sense of community and familiarity of fellowship.
Isn’t this just the way God works? We come to worship him, bring him our thoughts, worries and thangksgivings. All the while he is binding us together, visually as we look around at one another, verbally as we sing and speak together the words of our salvation, and physically as we sit, stand and kneel together and then come forward to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and be fed together.
Our Lord asked us to come together like this, which is reason enough to do so. But I wonder if we realize how much our presence means to those around us. How watching and sometimes weeping or rejoicing with one another as the years pass builds us into a body which is stronger by being together than we could ever be alone. God’s grace and power are always with us when together in His name.
I know we are a busy community in a busy society in a busy and troubled world, but I also know we belong to one who says “Come unto me…and I will refresh you,” “Do This…” and “Peace be with you.”
When someone says they missed you last week, be assured they did for all the right reasons. God has bound us to more loving people than we can imagine. That’s just the way He is. Thanks be to God.
As we approach summer, we begin to see an increasing number of visitors at our services each week at this time of the year along with a number of folds who are new to the area. I hope we will all be ready to greet and welcome them to Bethesda.
Please be sure to bring your visitors to church on Sundays and remember that we have a lift for those who have problems with the steps, a large print edition of the services and aids for the hearing impaired that can be placed in the ear. The ushers will be happy to help you in these matters.
After June our organizational activities slow down, but Sunday morning is still the Lord’s Day week in and week out. Summer is a wonderful time to pause and pray and feel the quiet within one’s soul while worshipping in the “beauty of holiness.” Be sure to attend wherever you may be. Please make sure your children have the opportunity to worship in a church or at least with you for some quiet moments of reflection, prayer and thanksgiving together wherever you maybe on your vacation this summer.
Thomas T. Parke
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