Mitch is away this week in the frigid windy city of Chicago for some continuing education while the sun has finally come out down here. Pray for him, not just for the fruits of good study, but also that he may thaw when he gets back home. 

This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation, when the one-month-old Jesus is brought to the temple to be presented with the customary thank offering. Two old prophets come to coo over him, with the tenderness of two grandparents but also the conviction of street preachers. They declare to anyone who will listen that this is the Messiah, the Living God incarnate, who folks had drenched the walls of that temple in prayers longing for. At last, souls that have wandered for help can now rest because our helper has been revealed.

This weekend is our annual Kanuga Parish Retreat. Well over 100 St. Martin's folks will head to the mountains around Hendersonville for some time of fellowship and service. This year the retreat will feel a little bit different, in that many folks will not just be retreating. With the effects of Hurricane Helene still being felt, a retreat seemed wrong. Instead, we will be volunteering at a couple of workplaces in the nearby areas. Some will be putting together pallets in a distribution center, making sure much-needed supplies are organized and ready to go. Others will be cleaning crawl spaces, installing vapor barriers, and working around a housing complex. If you have tools you think would be helpful, please bring them! A general contractor will be supervising.

Every couple of years, I try to sit down and read the Bible cover to cover. In full disclosure, I will admit that I often breeze through some of the tedious genealogies in Leviticus and Numbers, which have a reputation for ruining many Bible reading attempts. That being said, in reading scripture all the way through, I have become convinced that the overarching narrative of the Bible is a story of the ever-widening power of God's love.

I hope and pray that you are well. In 1951, the First Sunday after the Epiphany, St. Martin's held its first worship service. We commemorate that first service this Sunday. Happy 74th Birthday, St. Martin's! I hope and pray you will join us for Sunday School and Worship. In Sunday School, author and church member Leigha Carson Woody will share poems from her new book "Surviving Child." In worship, we will sing some of the hymns from that first service and have copies of the bulletin available for folks to see. 

Denise and I leave our Christmas trees up for the full 12 days of Christmas. This morning, I came downstairs and found myself looking at a purple, green, and gold umbrella ornament at the bottom of our tree. I was filled with sadness for the city of New Orleans, which my family once called home, a city that, despite its flaws, has a culture and beauty that makes it special to us. My heart breaks for the families affected, the school communities, the mourners, and those whose injuries will impact the rest of their lives. For them and all victims of violence everywhere, I ask that you take some time today and offer a prayer–pray for peace.

I hope and pray that you are well. I hope and pray that you have been able to experience some holiday joy. I hope and pray that you and your loved ones have been able to celebrate the birth of Jesus in happiness and love. 

I am so thankful to celebrate with you all this year. I promised myself that when Christmas at St. Martin's was taken from us by COVID shutdowns, I would never again take the pageantry of the Christmas season for granted. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this Christmas beautiful. Thank you to our Altar Guild, Sunday school teachers, Flower Guild, and so many others who went above and beyond during this time. I also want to thank Gordon Thomas by name. Gordon worked hours upon hours to make our campus look welcoming and inviting. There has not been a time in the last few weeks when I have not seen his truck somewhere on campus. Gordon, thank you.

Merry Christmas!!! I love Christmas. I love the services and the music, gathering with family and friends, the giving and receiving of gifts, and Hallmark movies with cheesy and predictable happy endings.

I love the sounds of Christmas—the bell ringers outside stores, children in neighborhoods playing with new toys, and the sounds of people saying, "Merry Christmas!" I also love the feeling of Christmas. It seems like people are kinder this time of year, more generous, more loving, more grateful, and just plain nicer. I wonder what that is about.

I hope and pray that you are well! Holy wow, life is busy. At the church, we are gearing up for Christmas, while at home, the Smith children are prepping for final exams and doing their best to finish the semester strong. For many of our families, I know that this is a busy time of year. Please know we are holding you in prayer.

I hope and pray that you are well. I am sitting with a Bible and prayer book/hymnal that I keep in my office. Both were given to me 19 years ago at my ordination to the diaconate. The first services where I officially proclaimed the gospel, bid the confession, and served at the altar were Advent services. I remember during this time looking back on seminary with a mixture of gratefulness and relief. I also recall looking forward with expectation towards a life in ministry while also celebrating that our family of two was about to become a family of three. From this point on Advent would represent for me a season of preparation and prayer (as our faith tradition says) as well as a sense of adventure as Denise and I stood at the beginning of the unknown.

Happy Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving. I love the meal, the time with family, the whole process. I love to cook and so in some ways, Thanksgiving is my Super Bowl. It's fun for me. It is also a day when I will try my best as a Christian to share the blessings I have been given by making a donation to the church and getting some presents for our Giving Tree. I will try to practice gratitude.

This Sunday is our Annual Meeting. For those of you who are new to the church, the Annual Meeting is a required day, where once a year the parish gathers to hear the business reports of the church. My sermon will serve as my annual report. After church at coffee hour and again at the Annual Meeting we'll show a slideshow of images from this past year. After the 10:30 AM service, we will elect our slate of vestry nominees and a delegate to Diocesan Convention. We will then have a budget presentation, a presentation from our foundation leader, and hear a few words from our Junior and Senior Wardens.

I hope and pray that you are well. This Sunday promises to be a day of celebration and fun as we celebrate our parish's namesake, Saint Martin of Tours. Along with being our patron saint, Saint Martin of Tours is considered the patron saint of all veterans. He also was one of the very few saints of his time who were named a saint but never martyred. Instead, Martin was held up as an example of what it means to faithfully serve God for the entirety of one's life, but I digress...

As always, I hope and pray that you are well. As I write my letter this morning, I find myself at a loss for words. Some in our midst are celebrating, others are sad, hurting, and afraid. As a priest, a large part of my vocation deals with trying to make sense of life, through the lens of faith, particularly through the lens of our Baptismal Covenant. Sometimes this is easy. Sometimes it is hard.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and burden is light."

Happy Halloween! I hope and pray that this email finds everyone well. I also hope you get to laugh and enjoy some of the day's festivities. My day has been and will be a day of costumes and candy. It began with dropping Lydia off at a pre-dawn costumed track workout, and it will finish with a promenade through the neighborhood with some friends whose kids still require parental trick-or-treating assistance. 

You’ve probably heard announced that our Bishop is coming to visit us at St. Martin’s on Sunday, November 17th. But who is the bishop? And what does that mean? You’ve come to the right place!