Now, I know that sounds rather odd at first: how can things like global climate change and environmental degradation and species extinction be causes for celebration? That hardly seems appropriate. But I explained that I meant “celebration” in a very particular sense: the sense in which we use the word when we’re talking about what we do in liturgy and worship. As people of faith, our capacity for celebrating liturgy and worship together gives us a unique resource for thinking about and responding to patterns of action in our larger social and ecological communities.

Our worship today may not be quite so “free-form” as in Paul’s day; but essentially the same thing happens in our liturgies, too. One person reads a lesson, another person leads the intercessions, a few persons sing a choral piece, another person helps administer communion, another person helps bring forth the bread and wine and alms, another person guides the whole assembly through their prayers. All the different roles and gifts are woven together for the good of all. In the liturgy we experience a way of being together that is different from the way the world usually works: in the liturgy we celebrate a God-graced unity-in-diversity that helps us be individuals and a community in a way that is deeper and broader and more far-reaching than our usual day-to-day way of being.

And that way of being together is a resource that we can bring to life in the larger world as well. What we learn about unity-in-diversity in liturgy can be extended and applied to the way we, as people of faith, live and act in our cities and our nation and our world and our environment. Worshiping together shapes us to value togetherness and cooperation and mutual well-being as ideals in all our activities. That is the heart of our capacity for celebration.

And that celebration is something that can be very important for the world at this crucial time. The aftermath of 9/11/2001, the continuing campaign against terrorism, the threat of invasion against Iraq the economic fallout of corporate scandal and loss of confidence in markets and finances, the growing body of evidence of the effects of global climate change and greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the currently charged debate over national sovereignty and international cooperation—all of these topics fill our headlines and affect our lives, and all of them turn on the question of how we many different entities will come together in communities and assemblies and cooperatives for the mutual well-being of all.

As people of faith, we have a vision of togetherness and a hope for communion that can be a significant gift to the world in this critical time. We can stand up for courses of action that lead to justice and peace, not alienation and destruction. We can point to a promise of shared joy in community that is far richer than the small satisfaction of “going it alone.” We can offer celebration as a way of being together in the world for the glory of God and for the good of us all.

In the fall months, we will be learning more from the questionnaires about what’s important to parish members in our lives and in our connection with St. George’s. When we complete the review of all the Connection questionnaires, a summary of important themes arising from them will be made available to the vestry and parish. The intention is to inform all of us as we work to vision our mission.

We will work from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., rain or shine. We also need volunteers to bring lunch for the crew. Watch the Sunday bulletins and the parish hall for more details—or call Laura Jester at 952-417-8972.

The Preschool/Kindergarten class is learning about Noah, Abraham, Sarah and Moses.

Grades 1-3 are learning about prophets. Some of them are Joshua, Gideon, and Solomon. They will also find out about strong women such as Deborah and Ruth.

The Intermediate Class has a newspaper called The Community Times, which is an excellent tool to help them learn about some of the other prophets—Amos, Isaiah and Micah, to name just a few. I’m sure if you ask them, they would be happy to share their information.

This event is truly about Life—you donate so that someone else may live! Your donation is needed and appreciated. If you can do this, you will be somebody’s HERO.

We gave 12 bags of supplies and $400. The program supplied 450-plus students from 230 families with school supplies, underwear, socks and personal care products. This year, the program was totally supported by specific contributions of supplies and money. STEP can now use the general donations—that in the past have been applied to the program—to help families with gas money, rent, food, and other essential life expenses.