Good afternoon parish!
What a beautiful day! My wife is baking apple slices for garlands–the parsonage smells like apple pie (but alas, no pie!). The garlands will sustain the aroma for days to come, however, and that is itself an autumn celebration. Martin Buber captures the heart of our worship service focus this week with these words, “One should hallow all that one does in one’s natural life. One eats in holiness, tastes the taste of food in holiness, and the table becomes an altar. One works in holiness, and he raises up the sparks which hide themselves in all tools. One walks in holiness across the fields, and the soft songs of all herbs, which they voice to God, enter into the song of our soul.”
In Sunday’s parable, we are invited to a wedding celebration representing the kingdom of God. Some choose not to come, and the invitation is extended to all. Our gift is to adorn ourselves with garments worthy of repentance–living God’s values for the healing of the world! Sunday’s worship will be ‘in person’ at 8:15 am, online at 10 am (church facebook page livestream and subsequent post to the website, www.auburnmethodist.org), and drive-in at 10 am (88.3 FM/lot opens at 9:30 am/families might want to bring a blanket for the children’s moment). On All Saints’ Sunday, November 1st, the drive-in service will move to the sanctuary with appropriate protocols for safety. The online service will also continue, but will be broadcast from the sanctuary. I have attached Sunday’s worship guide and a copy of last Sunday’s message to this email. An invitation link will follow for those who wish to attend a zoom Coffee Fellowship Chat at 2 pm on Sunday.
MISSION OPPORTUNITIES:
October food collection for the High Street Food Pantry (cart at UMCA parking lot entrance, M-F, mornings, w/secure monetary donation box). Winter coats, hats, mittens, scarfs for Center of Women’s Wisdom & Trinity Jubilee Center, Tuesdays, UMCA parking lot entrance). Thanksgiving Baskets, families will receive $40 Hannaford gift cards. If donating by check, please make them out to: UMW (needed by 11/16). Giving Tree Christmas Program, each child will receive between $40-50.00/families will be given a Walmart gift card for each child for the purchase of gifts. If you wish to donate through a gift card, please note the amount on the card. (needed by 12/7). In 2019, 165 kids, 12 and under,
received gifts through the Giving Tree program.
Now, let’s all take a foliage walk…
Much joy,