July 2010

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PASTOR'S PAGE

Dear Friends,

Are you ready for a vacation or a trip of some kind? If you are going somewhere, do you pack days ahead of time or like me are you finishing everything at the last minute? Tomorrow I leave for eight days as a Commissioner to General Assembly. This is exciting! I've known about it for months now, but when do I get things ready? The night before. I have thought about what to pack, but do I have enough nicer clothes even to wear for eight days?!?! So I guess tonight, after a very long day and one more meeting, I will finish the laundry, fold clothes and pack what I need. But then did I get everything at work done? Guest preacher-check. Newsletter article- almost. Bulletin-Lila can call the guest preacher tomorrow and figure out which hymns are in our hymnbook, right? Session agenda-check. Welcoming Table-Laura and crew will handle it, but I have to give her the tax exempt card before I leave. The family: Cara to the airportcheck. Leah and Cara can figure it out. What else do I need to bring beside clothes? Cell phone and charger, computer and charger, glasses (can't see if I forget those!) It will get done, It WILL get done, IT WILL GET DONE!!!!

At 10:00 tomorrow morning I will be on the plane settled into my seat with everything I need, everything done, and on my way to Minneapolis.

It is kind of scary to think about all the things that are part of my responsibility all at one time. But the good news is I usually don't have to think about it this way. Usually I can handle what needs to be done right now and then move on to the next thing that needs to get done. Sometimes I get behind, sometimes I get overwhelmed, but most of the time I'm where I need to be almost on time! But the good news is on those occasions when I am late or I forgot, there is usually forgiveness and understanding.

Some of us plan ahead, some of us are very organized, some of us are always late, others are early, some of us are disorganized, some of us fall asleep in meetings, some of us have too much energy to sit still, some of us get the big picture of what we are doing, others see all the small details. But the Good News is that we are all Children of God! God loves us as we are. The world is a more exciting place because we are all different. Each one of us has valuable gifts and talents to use to serve God and love our neighbors. No matter who you are, you are important to this congregation.

So tomorrow I will join Presbyterians from all over the country, all different, and we will pray together and make decisions together about the future of our denomination. Some of us will agree with the decisions and others will not, but we are all still Children of God.

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Linda Maconochie