For me, the high of the parish weekend at Kanuga was quickly doused upon returning to the reality of work, school, dirty laundry, children's sports, and breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that do not cook themselves. In some ways, it was jarring. So much to do and seemingly so little time to do it. In other ways, the jarring nature of my return to reality was a nice reminder of why prayer, worship, and time with friends are so important.

We have spent an important week here at St. Martin's working with professional church consultant Chris Jillard. She helped our vestry think about the structures of our church and how we go about doing the work of the Gospel while living together in community. St. Martin's has experienced growth, which is awesome. With growth come important conversations about communication, organizational flow and welcome.

Our church's Kanuga Weekend is almost here. The dates are January 27-29. For new members, Kanuga Weekend is a time when we come together as a parish family and just unplug. Primarily our parish weekend is a time for parish members to get to know each other, and it's a time for families to bond and relax. The Bible calls times like this Sabbath.

In terms of what power is, Jesus comes not as a conquering hero, but in the form of a baby born in a manger. Instead of preaching that power is the ability to oppress the poor or weak, Jesus says "blessed are the peacemakers" and "blessed are the poor." Jesus in his ministry shows us that power does not come from who we can keep out, but from who we include. He shows us that power eats and drinks with sinners and is not afraid to be with the sick. Finally, Jesus shows us that power does not look like a Roman riding a war horse, but a carpenter riding a donkey.

I love Pageant Sunday. I love it because in it, we tap into one of the earliest forms of Christian worship. In our earliest forms of worship, Christians would act out the stories of our faith as a way of sharing and teaching them. For generations, before literacy was common, these "plays" or "pageants" were how we learned the stories of Jesus. Needless to say, I love pageants.

It's precisely in times like this that intentionally taking a moment to pray, to give thanks to God, or to ask for God's help and blessing is important. The third week of advent is the time when we are called on to focus on our technique. To breathe in the fact that we are wonderfully made and to breathe out our thanksgiving and praise... to breathe in the fact that we are wonderfully made, to breathe out our thanksgiving and praise... to breathe in the fact that we are wonderfully made, to breathe out........

Advent is a time of year that has always appealed to me. Perhaps this appeal is related to my youth and my time as an athlete. Competitions are fun, but I have always believed that results in the competition are directly related to how well you have prepared for the specific event. I have also found that the best athletes enjoy preparation as much as and perhaps more than the competition itself.

This week I encourage you to take a moment ... make a thankful list if you need to, and then instead of celebrating Thanksgiving just once, give thanks each day for the things on that list. Living a life of joy requires living a life of giving thanks, a life of gratitude. I encourage you to start with the gift of our Lord and work from there.

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. In the scope of the wider church, Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of "ordinary" before we turn our attention to Advent and the coming of Jesus. In the life of St. Martin's, this weekend represents the time of year when we have our Annual Meeting. This year my annual address will happen during the sermon. After the Eucharist, we will make our way to the Parish Hall where, after getting a cup of coffee and a tasty snack, we will: Vote on our Vestry slate, Thank our Vestry members who are completing their terms of service, Hear a Treasurer's Report about the finances of the church, Hear from our Junior Warden, And, finally we will hear from our Senior Warden.

Happy St. Martin's Day! This Sunday we commemorate the Feast of St. Martin, our patron saint. We are CELEBRATING with a day of service and a party Tuesday night. This Sunday, between services, we will be packing bags for Harvest Hope. We are also gathering food for both Harvest Hope and our Backpack Program.

This Sunday we celebrate All Saints' Sunday. All Saints' Day is a day of both looking toward the kingdom of God, and a day of remembrance. It is a day where we celebrate the paschal mystery: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. In the midst of this celebration, we remember the Saints who have helped shape both our lives and our understanding of God. We also baptize people into the faith, and we think about the church that we want to leave behind for those who are new to the body of the faithful.

The office is filled with candy: Pirates' Booty, chips, a smoke machine and costumes. This can only mean one thing, Trunk or Treat is coming. Come play with us this Saturday from 4 to 6. We will hand out candy, laugh, meet our neighbors, meet our preschool parents, and have a great time with the youngest members of our church. It's silly. It's fun. It's great.

There is so much happening. For those who have pledged, thank you. For those who have yet to pledge, please consider making a pledge to St. Martin's. Your pledge helps us to plan and do the ministries that we do. Also, if you made a pledge for 2022 and you have not yet paid it, please consider when and how you will. If you are not going to be able to honor it, give me a call so that church can know. I'll keep it between us and will quietly delete your pledge. Your pledge is not a bill; it is a gift. Please know it is received with deep gratitude.