St. Paul's New Year 2010

Clear In God's Sight

I want to write something fresh or wise or hopeful at the beginning of the New Year. I try to write about snow. There’s nothing holy in what I write, just a good picture in words. So after my feeble attempts, I go to the bookshelf to find poetry. And there I find Rilke’s, Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, by Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke. The poem I choose (only a part is printed here) identifies me, and I hope it identifies you as well.

I’m too alone in the world, yet not alone enough
to make each hour holy.
I’m too small in the world, yet not small enough
to be simply in your presence, like a thing-
just as it is.

I want to know my own will
and to move with it.
And I want, in the hushed moments
when the nameless draws near,
to be among the wise ones-
or alone.

I want to mirror your immensity.
I want never to be too weak or too old
to bear the heavy, lurching image of you.

I want to unfold.
Let no place in me hold itself closed,
for where I am closed, I am false.
I want to stay clear in your sight.

In the New Year, may we unfold, and may we stay clear in God’s sight.

Missions

Manna Meals

As Christmas Day fell on our regular Manna Meal's FrIday, we all had a special blessing!

A special thank you to Margaret White who coordinated extra volunteers from OSU to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner with no less than three kinds of homemade cookies plus fudge. Also, a huge thanks to all the other church family members who showed up to help before Christmas and on Christmas Day and all the other days of the year. In spite of the snow and cold temperatures we had about 100 people attend the dinner. Our Manna Meal's guests were very appreciative of our support to them!

Also, the Friday before Christmas we handed out the Gift Bags. Thank you for your generous donations as the bags were quite full with hats, gloves, and socks plus snacks and toiletries. We set a record for filling about 250 bags in about 30 minutes. We had a large group of volunteers who made the mission project short and sweet.

As we begin the New Year, I would like to thank Deb LeMaster, John Klenda, Judy Murphy , David Hubbard, and Margaret White who faithfully plan and prepare the Friday Meals every month. We could not do Manna Meal's without you.
Happy New Year!
Bev Stites, Manna Meals Coordinator

Spring Book Sale

Do you have any books cluttering up your house or office? What about magazines? The Coffee Group for Adults Sunday School Class is organizing a book sale to benefit Manna Meals. We will be collecting, categorizing, and selling the books and magazines in the spring, coinciding with the Cherry Street Farmer’s Market.

Please put books and magazines aside and bring them any Sunday to and give them to Lori Thompson or Jennifer Rudolph, chairs of the Coffee Group Sunday School Class.

Spring Mission Trip

Our church is planning a mission trip to Red Bird Mission at Beverly, Kentucky in
April 2010. Contact the church office for more information.