Winter Wonderland...
We woke up this morning to the sound of silence. You know the silence I speak of, the silence that comes after a big snowfall when the world slows down to a standstill and the usual everyday sounds are muted by the white blanket which covers the ground. I treasure the quiet beauty of a real snowfall, the kind of snow that causes the world to pause and delight.
North Broadway looks like a winter wonderland still untouched by human (or canine) feet. As I sip my coffee, I watch the dogs romp in the back yard. They love the snow. Barnabas is making a tunnel with his nose, while Luke is doing his "mountain lion" around the pool, tearing around on his haunches, leaping over his brother when he dares to wander into his path. For them the snow is a wondrous gift. They have no schedule to keep, no walks to shovel.
Today was supposed to be districts for Power of the Pen. But that has been postponed as has the retreat I was supposed to participate in. I am thankful that others also have accepted God's invitation to slow down, to take time out to just sit and ponder the beauty of creation, to play and make angels in the snow.
So much of our lives are bound by schedules and appointments. It is good to slow down, to stop and be still. Sometimes I think God blesses us with snow to force us to heed the slower rhythms of creation, rhythms we all too often ignore in the frenetic pace of our daily living.
Is God calling you to slow down this winter? I know that God is calling me to be still, reminding me that there is more to life than worries and work. I'm ready to make angels in the snow. What about you?
Debbie Rundlett, general presbyter
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January 23, 2012
Dear Presbytery of Muskingum Valley,
I wanted to let you know that First Presbyterian Church (Wooster) was certified as an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Environmental Ministries on January 11, 2012. This honor speaks to the great commitment that this congregation has to caring for God's earth.
To become an Earth Care Congregation, First Presbyterian Church affirmed the Earth Care Pledge to integrate environmental practices and thinking into all facets of their church life and completed projects and activities in the fields of worship, education, facilities, and outreach.
The Earth Care Congregation certification is designed to recognize churches that have made the commitment to take seriously God's charge to "till and keep" the garden.
The Earth Care Congregations program was started in 2010 by PC(USA) Environmental Ministries. The goal of the program is to inspire churches to care for God's earth in a holistic way, through integrating earth care into all of church life. The Earth Care Congregation certification honors churches that made that commitment, and encourages others to follow their lead.
According to my records, First Presbyterian Church of Wooster, OH is the first church in the Presbytery of Muskingum Valley to become an Earth Care Congregation.
For more information on First Presbyterian's earth care program, contact Keith Brown at kanddbrown@aol.com or 330-264-5118.
For more information on the Earth Care Congregations program go to www.pcusa.org/earth-care-congregations.
In Christ's Peace,
Rebecca Barnes-Davies
Associate for Environmental Ministries |
Dear friends,
Thank you for your kind words and for your generous gifts as I leave your service. It has been a joy and a privilege to serve among you for the past eighteen years. I will candidate at the Sebring Presbyterian Church (in Eastminster Presbytery) on January 15. I will always treasure you and hope for many occasions in the future when we will meet again.
In Christ,
Marty Radcliff |
