This seemed to be the word of the day. The weather was hospitable – we had a winter break with clear skies and temperatures approaching 50 degrees so that coats and hats were less of a necessity. Obviously it was present in the monthly coffee hour – with tuna sandwiches, two types of soups, vegetable tray, oatmeal cookies. Thanks for coordinators Mary Ann Betchy and Barbara Wisdom.
It was present in the Church service. On another level, the sermon explained "God expects us to practice hospitality, especially to those who are in need. Because human beings are slow learners, and all of the prophets in the Old Testament just couldn’t get people to understand God’s expectations of us, God takes the initiative and offers the greatest act of hospitality imaginable. God comes to be with us!"
The Gospel made the statement -"We are the Salt of the Earth." "Jesus is the salt that soaks into us, permeates us, alters who we are. And what does being salt for the whole earth mean?…" "So that we, his disciples, can become like he is, the salt for the whole earth and the light for the whole world." So we can help the the ones who are oppressed, the ones who are hungry, the ones who are homeless.." And our offering of salt to God is to love and serve the Lord and one another with God’s everlasting hospitality. "
And we do that here – thanks to the work of Fred Pannell in his food ministry, Joan Poland’s collections for Hope House and the Thurman Brisben Center, Nancy Long’s work with Samaritan Purse, etc. As always we can do more in our neighborhoods The entire sermon is here.
In another form of hospitality, the new vestry was installed today and given a box of aspirin since they will be working overtime later this month in a Vestry retreat. In the picture below, Eunice and Linda received their bottles
Finally, St. Peter’s extended hospitality to Thomas Guthrie, our guest organist. Tom was the organist at St. George’s from 1981 to 1987 and responsible for the major expansion at that church. Tom is gifted both on the keyboards and as a choral director.
