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Pastor’s Ponderings –
As we enter the season of Easter and move further into spring, it feels natural to be reawakening to what is possible and reigniting our sense of who we are as a faith community for this season in our faith life! What is stirring in you? What are your hopes and dreams for how Beautiful Savior lives into God’s mission with the people and other gifts we as a congregation have now? What sorts of things excite you enough to show up and contribute to making them happen?! I’m hoping the upcoming Asset Mapping activities will stir some of your creative juices and help put a few new ideas together in a way that generates some energy and fun!
And here’s another idea – in our recent turn toward considering land stewardship, the gardens were mentioned as something to preserve “for the sake of the community” and as outreach, so this is a way to live into those sentiments. Garden Guru, Doug P has designated April 15th as a designated garden community cleanup and sharing of a rototiller day. What a perfect time to pitch in to help with weeding, preparing, and lugging as a low threat way to get to know those who use our gardens. (the Mormon community has been the only ones providing this sort of support and fellowship here, I’ve noticed). And maybe the sort of connection possible through shared labor can lead to something like a Feast of the Gardens, where we can come together around tables to enjoy the fruits of labor and love together. And while not wanting to get out too far ahead of where you might want to go, I cannot help but think about the positive impact that having people of BSLC engage with garden neighbors on a monthly basis would be! We could grow relationships through shared work alongside these neighbors, where shared conversation could help us learn more not only about the realities of gardening, but about each others’ lives. And knowing that at least three of the “usual” gardeners have limiting health conditions – related to age, long-COVID, etc. – we could make more of a difference than you might first think.
Other people raised a desire to protect space to pitch the tent for summer outdoor worship. It’s not too early to consider how you might help make outdoor worship possible in the coming months. Last summer it became clear that we no longer have a sufficient pool of people (rotating or consistent) committed to the wet up and support of continuing a regular schedule of outdoor worship so I have not planned to reprise it, much as it saddens me (I delight in worshiping outside, in and among God’s creation!). Complicating matters further, we no longer have a keyboard and I’m unaware of guitar players available to support singing outside. What are your thoughts for creating the possibility of outdoor worship on some sort of regular basis? Or do we let go of this response to the challenges of a few years, and move on “as is” (indoor worship only)?
Let’s explore together the ways we can move from passive (and relationally removed) ministry, into active and more rewarding engagement with our neighbors. Hmmmm…, that has me I wondering what God might be waiting to reveal to us about what God’s preferred future for this particular community of faith might unfold? Are you ready and willing to find out together?!
Pastor Jean
A New Opportunity to Participate in Care for Creation
Did you know that food scraps in the landfill trash emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas? But when those food scraps are rerouted to make compost, they turn into a rich soil amendment instead. After being asked to participate in a pilot project to turn scraps into compost, Beautiful Savior County will soon serve as a food waste collection drop site for households of our congregation, building partners, and neighbors, to help keep food scraps out of the landfill.
On Palm Sunday, April 2, folks of the Clark County Congregation to Compost Initiative will be on hand for you to learn more and sign up to participate. Each household that signs up will receive a special food scrap pail to use for transporting your food waste (meat and bones included!) as we participate in this easy but important step in combating the ill effects of climate change.
For more information go to ClarkCountyComposts.org/C2C
Greetings from your Council President
The first Council Forum will be on the 5th Sunday, Apr 30 after worship. We will be focusing on how everyone is feeling after the recent vote about our land. Please join us after service to share your thoughts and some good conversation. Come with your questions, and hear about our plans. Your Council cares!
Caring for each other: thank you to Janelle P for her supreme efforts to
reorganize the Care Team. Help is needed to assist the Team with phone
calling or sending greeting cards to those in need.
Cards and stamps are in the office.
Holy Week and Easter are fast approaching. We will need all hands on deck
for our services to run smoothly. If you can fill a last minute need as an usher,
assistant minister, reader, communion assistant, etc., please call the office or check the Sign Up Genius.
Caring for our church home: The Property Committee is in urgent need of
more help. March has been full of surprises and blessings, as we had 3 roof
leaks requiring repair. Main bathrooms were refreshed with flooring, paint and
fixtures. A plugged drain required a plumber to fix it. Check out the paint in the narthex and down the halls that brightened up our spaces. More paint is
needed for the Fellowship Hall and kitchen areas. New recycle bins are out near the kitchen. As this newsletter comes out, the church cleanup will have
occurred. Thank you to the small team of worker bees that have been so
diligent with their time and energy.
The Rainbow Doors are needing some TLC. A small focus group is forming to
study short term and long term goals, to plan how to best display and care for
the doors. If you can help us, let me know or call the office for details.
Helene Pihl
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