July 27, 2006

Love

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
   Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
   From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
   If I lacked anything.

"A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here:"
   Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
   I cannot look on Thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
   "Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord; but I have marred them: let my shame
   Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "Who bore the blame?"
   "My dear, then I will serve."
 "You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
   So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert, priest (1593-1633)

Serving at God's Altar this Sunday...Angel Army Team 5 (Captain: Steve Todd; Administrator: Frank Reid; Pastor: Mary Reid; Convener: Tom Friend); Acolytes: Caleb Friend, Thomas Friend, Austin Yearwood, Nicole Yearwood; Presenters: Ivana Washington & Crystal Currie; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Betsy Fox & Wes Nichols; Offertory Basket Passers: Joseph Duty, Hannah Friend, Benjamin Lamb, Jeremy Lamb; PowerPoint: Kevin Krantz.

In our Prayers...for those who have died or have been traumatized by the escalating violence in the Middle East and around the world...for Judy Gibbs who is scheduled for an appendectomy...for Mike, neighbor of John Armstrong, who is in the burn unit after his house burned down in Charlotte...for those who received Beloved's postcard mailing that God will use us to assist them on their spiritual journey...for Greg, Sherrill Lowder's brother, who has colon cancer...for Jacqui, niece of Deb and Dan Blackwood who is fighting breast cancer...for Harriett, Kathy Raynor‘s mother who has cancer...for Richard, Ginger Leppert‘s father...for Jessie Powell and Janie Lownes...for those serving in Iraq, especially Scott, Dan Hood's brother...for Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter...for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer...for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma... for Bucky, Sherrill Lowder's neighbor, who has lung cancer...for Jeremy Lamb who is recovering from surgery....for Cyteria Knight as she seeks employment...for Kara Snowman Wulff's husband, Mike, who is employed by Springs Industries and is seeking other employment...for Marie Charbonneau as she completes her immigration interview in Canada to return permanently to the United States...for those who travel during this time of summer respite from school.

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