Greta McDonald's blog

During the summer I had an opportunity to spend a few days with our one year-old granddaughter, who was just learning to walk. Her steps were tentative at times, and at first she did about as much falling as walking, but she kept trying and learning. Then, one day, I saw her forget about trying and just delight in walking - almost running - when she was brought to a toddler's splash pad area in a pool complex.

This Sunday, August 30 we will be "Welcoming the World" our summer theme in some special ways.

At both services, we will celebrate the start of the new preschool year at church, and introduce Nancy Bifulco as the new preschool director. We welcome an important part of the world when we welcome the 3 & 4 year old children from our congregation and community to the ministry of the preschool.

As we enter the last half of August, we are also in the last few weeks of our summer 2015 church theme - "Welcoming the World."

Years and years ago, I happened to be in this church for a summer worship service, and heard, for the first time, a festive Avery and Marsh song, Every Morning is Easter Morning from Now On...  sung by a quartet. The enthusiasm of the singers made an impact on me, and every now and then I find myself going back to that moment, and appreciating the song's reminder to see each day through the light of the resurrection of Christ.

It was great to have Bishop Sally Dyck with us last Sunday! Her sermon truly uplifted us, as she encouraged us to "lift up our eyes" to the big picture of how God is calling us to live in the midst of today's circumstances.

The whole weekend was filled with special moments of being the Church together. As I walked through the church building Saturday morning, it was almost like hearing a symphony of inviting sounds -

I was away for a couple of days this week, at an educational event. Both days were filled with meaningful teaching, enlivening conversations with pastors and church leaders, scripture reading, music and laughter during meals together.

Tomorrow morning, 50 plus people will be gathering in the Fellowship Hall for a breakfast to honor and thank those who volunteer to help with worship services - from the parking lot welcoming team, to greeters, ushers, scripture readers, sound board crew members - and the list goes on.

Lent begins next week on Wednesday, February 18. Youth Director Rev. Howie Snyder, members of the Connection Choir and Onward Bound students will be leading a creative Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.

This Sunday's worship theme serves as a bridge from the season of Epiphany to the start of Lent. Our scripture story, Mark 9:2-9, is often called The Transfiguration, a time when some of Jesus' followers realized they suddenly saw him in a new, and fuller, way and were being prepared to listen to him more deeply.

We had one of those unexpectedly "special" Sundays last weekend, on February 1 - not something designated on the denominational calendar, but definitely decreed by our  Saturday night snowstorm, predicted to turn into our Sunday afternoon near-blizzard.

Of course, many of our congregation were homebound that day, with snow-filled driveways and blocked neighborhood streets.

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday and we are part of a culture that associates certain rituals with that day -- notably eating! Chicken wings and pizza are consumed in heavy quantities by individuals and at gatherings -- in fact, Super Bowl Sunday is now second only to Thanksgiving in the amount of food consumed in one day.