This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope and pray that you are well. This weekend promises to be one of great fun! Sunday at our morning services we welcome Chuck Wilson to be a part of our worshiping family. Chuck will be our interim Organist and Choir Director. Chuck brings a passion for worship and church music as well as a loving heart for his choir. Chuck also brings with him an appreciation for the music program that English built. All of these things combined with his sense of humor, fun-loving attitude, and faithfulness to the gospel make him a great person to minister with us during this transition. I am excited that he said yes to being a part of our team, and I know you will join me in offering him a warm welcome.

Chuck's presence will also give our search committee the time that we need to conduct a thorough search. Applications have already come in from California, New York, Chicago, and around the Columbia area. Please join me in praying for the right person to come. I believe that I was called to be the Rector of St. Martin's. In the same way, I believe that God will call the right person to be our next Director of Music.

At our 5:00 pm service this Sunday, we will hold our annual Blessing of the Animals. The blessing like last year will be inside the church. If you have an animal you would like blessed, but perhaps they would do better outside, please come outside of the church around 5:45 pm. When the 5:00 pm service is finished I will offer them a blessing. As a priest on St. Francis Sunday I have blessed horses, pigs, snakes, rats, dogs, cats, a duck, lizards, stuffed teddy bears, and pictures of pets. No animal is too big or too small! Last year we had the pleasure of blessing a police dog who serves the Richland County Sheriff's Department. This year we will bless a therapy dog at our 10:30 am service who serves children at school and in hospitals. I give thanks for these amazing animals. I truly believe a part of God's beauty is placed in each and every one of them.

Please join us! It will be fun. It will be a little loud. It will be holy.

In Christ,

Mitch