"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink."

Jesus reminds us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty and so much more. During the heatwave in Chicago I decided to do just that. Walk the streets and pass out water and snacks. Minister to folks on a hot day.

My initial intention was to give to the homeless. Having volunteered with the homeless shelter and gotten to know many of the homeless folks made me feel that I could find them on the streets and in the park. Walking around I did not find many of my friends. Some were in the library and in other cooler places and were mostly nowhere to be found.

My exercise showed me that I was doing my own profiling about who looked like they were homeless. Not a good feeling to know that I was trying to make such assumptions.

I moved to just asking folks if they wanted something to drink or eat. There were many strange stares and looks of suspicion about a woman with a stroller handing out free drinks and snacks. As I moved along, more people took one or the other from me. Some asked if they could pay and others asked if there was anything wrong with the things I was passing out. I told them that I was the priest at the Episcopal Church and thought that today would be a good day to see who is thirsty and hungry.

Walking around was a great exercise in catching my own assumptions about the needs of others. I believe my own life was fed and nourished.

Go and feed and nourish others.

A huge thank you to all who have given towards hiring a Director of Life-Long Christian Formation. We are getting close to our goal of $40,000.  We currently have $17,863 in hand, and another $10K pledged.  With this in mind we will shortly begin moving forward with advertising the position.  Please feel free to make a donation to this position and to our general operating budget.

Thanks to Donna Anderson, the Finance Committee and the Vestry for having the wisdom and vision to move forward in a bold way to help our spiritual lives be enhanced.

Our 90-year-old pipe organ contains over 4,700 organ pipes!  Under each pipe is a "pillow" of leather that moves when a note is played to allow the pipe to sound.  These pillows, or pneumatics, have begun to fail after nine decades and need to be replaced.  A good number of the front pneumatics have already been replaced.  When they fail, they tear or crack and this makes the note either not play at all (dead) or play all the time (cypher).  There are nine different divisions or separate organs that can be played from the organ console.  At present the pneumatics from the Echo Choir division have been removed to re-leather them.  They will be reinstalled this coming week.  Please see me with any questions you might have. 

Please join Prevail (formerly Walk-In Ministry) on August 1 for Oak Park Festival Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Oak Park Festival Theatre will donate $15 of each ticket purchased on behalf of Prevail to benefit Prevail's outreach in the community.  To purchase tickets on behalf of Prevail, please visit their website www.PrevailOn.org or call 708-434-0086. 

July 28th 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: Phoenix Sullivan, Natalia Reniszewski, Grace Coberly, Isabel Coberly
MC/LEMS:  Nadia Stefko; Tony Dobrowolski, Cherryl Holt, Hansi Kess, Barbara Larsen, Charlie MacDougall
LECTORS: Sally Prescott, Sue Wells
INTERCESSORS: Tony Dobrowolski, Sam Love
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: Lindsay Schumaier
USHERS: Laura Morgan Day, Sam Love, Alan Harvey, Donna Anderson
GREETERS: Ade Onayemi, Gloria Rayburn, Jane Shirley
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: TBA
10:30am: The Wojack family

August 4th 10:30am Service:
ACOLYTES: TBA
MC/LEMS:  Cyndy Reynolds; Karen Mensch, Natalie Ratz, James Redden, Nadia Stefko, Helen Thomason
LECTORS: Bonnie Shadid, Ade Onayemi
INTERCESSORS: John Seaton, Lascelles Anderson
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Hansi Kess, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: The Lucé family
USHERS: James Redden, Flemming Bovell, Linda Reynes, Jim Groll
GREETERS: Paul & Cathy O'Kelly, Heather Bovell
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS: 9:00am: Jill & Laura Gimesky
10:30am: Donna Anderson