Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Wow! What a wonderful day we had this past Sunday celebrating the feast day of The Epiphany! Christ is worthy of our worship in every aspect of our individual and corporate lives. Salvation has come and the light of Christ is in the world yet again. Through all the history over the past 2,000 plus years, every year Christ is born, and the Christmas Star leads us once again to pay homage to the King of Kings. The light helps us find Jesus, guides us throughout our lives, and sends us out of the known to serve in faith as the body of Christ in the world.
I appreciated the opportunity this Christmas Eve and Epiphany Sunday to meet several new guest families. I love to see fresh faces and I certainly welcome those who visit during the Christmas holidays.
This past Sunday we had 77 folks at the 10a.m. Eucharist! Last Wednesday we had 7 at the abbreviated noon service in the Chapel! Could seven be our lucky number? Well, it is a substantial number for a cold rainy January. This past Sunday we also had 18 kids with 4 in the nursery and 2 babies! Bring it on, I say.
We have two gifted and committed youth leaders with Alyse and Debbie on board. We have supportive parents and active youth. I am profoundly grateful for their combined presence at Calvary!
We also had Rev. Dr. Larry Sivis (Organist/Director) helping to lead the choir and the congregation with worshipful music. We are thankful for our musicians and choristers for sharing their love of the Lord and their musical gifts with all of us each week! *If you are interested in visiting with Larry Sivis about participating in the choir, please contact him at 606-694-2774 or larrysivis@gmail.com
Looking Forward: This coming Sunday we celebrate the 2nd week of Epiphany. I invite you to find the Sunday scriptures listed in this week’s e-Crucifer and take a few minutes to read and reflect on them before we gather for worship. And please consider inviting someone to Calvary!
January 21st, after the 10a.m. service, is our Annual Parish Meeting. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish for our Potluck Lunch. This is the one time during the year that we hear ministry reports, vote on incoming vestry members, and our 4 delegates to Diocesan Convention. If you are new, please know that you are invited to join us for lunch and to check out the congregational meeting to learn more about life at Calvary Episcopal Church.
January 28th is the bishop’s annual visitation Sunday. We welcome Bishop Mark Van Koevering to preach and preside in worship. We will then gather for a luncheon in the Parish Hall. Lasagna will be provided. Everyone is invited, of course, and if you bring a salad, or a side dish, or a dessert then there will be a wonderful feast to share.
C – U – Sonday!
Blessings, Fr. Jon
