Welcome

Each of us is accountable to God. ~Matthew 17:11

Grace and peace to you on this beautiful sunny Saturday. I am thankful for cooler days and falling leaves ahead. The season is beginning to turn as we make our way fully into the fall. I pray that you savor these days with loved ones. 

Tomorrow’s lesson from Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that we are called, as a community of faith, to cultivate good relationships. As The Message Bible puts it, “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do….It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. ” 

These are welcome words at a time of division in our nation. I am grateful we gather, knowing that God is the One who invites us to gather. God’s grace is what transforms us into the people of God. God is the One who sends us out to serve. We can participate in God’s work by welcoming those who walk through our doors.

And they are coming. Tomorrow we begin our formation classes for the year. Nearly 50 children ages 4-18 have registered for Sunday School, a number are new families. We could see as many as a dozen kids under age 3 at nursery if they all came the same Sunday! I am grateful for a fulsome adult forum series this fall, starting strong with a presentation from the missioners to the Dominican Republic. 

If you greet someone new to you, please do welcome them wholeheartedly. I know that you will. And if you are new to St. Peter’s, I pray that you find a home here. For it is God who has called us together.

See you tomorrow for a special announcement. 

Faithfully,

The Rev. Jenifer Gamber, Rector
St. Peter's Episcopal Church