Fall at St. Nick’s – St. Nick’s News Sept. 27, 2024

Full St. Nick’s News for September 27, 2024

Dear Friends –

The last few days have been so lovely. We have been blessed with cool and breezy mornings. Seems so perfect as I notice people ordering pumpkin spice everything and October is just a few days away.

I love October at St. Nick’s. We always have deer come into the yard in the afternoon for a little snack. They remind me to take a moment and slow down. As I sit and watch the doe and her fawns eat, I am comforted by the gentle warmth of the fading sunlight, and drawn into a time of gratitude and prayer. I love-love-love this time of year.

Along with moments of gratitude, I am also looking forward to our life together this month. On October 5th we have our annual Blessing of the Animals – I hope you will come out to help and join in on the fun. We also have our Costume blessing at the end of the month on October 27th – for the young and young at heart. This year we are adding a “Spooky Potluck” so bring your favorite Halloween spooky treat and join us for lunch. Naturally, this is right before All Saints Day so sharing our stories of those we love and see no longer is a good and faithful endeavor.

We also have an offering of our Episcopal 101 classes. These classes will be on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:45pm (after Dinner Church). They are our classes that teach the basics of what it means to be an Episcopalian. We cover our worship and the basics of the Episcopal church, Anglican history and identity, our Book of Common Prayer, the sacraments, and our holy scriptures. Episcopal 101 is our version of confirmation classes. We also have Saturday workshops in November for those who can’t make Wednesday evening.

Confirmation is a sacrament of the church and is a statement of faith for those who have been previously baptized. Our confirmation service will be held on December 8th this year and includes prayers and the laying on of hands by our diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. David Read. Confirmation is a way we claim the Episcopal Church as our spiritual home. It is also a time when people (teens and adults) choose to reaffirm their faith and acknowledge God’s work in their lives.

I want to invite you to our classes and workshops this fall. If you are in a place where God is affirming your faith – come and join us. If you are in a place where you have doubts and questions – come and join us. If you are in a place where you simply want to explore and learn – come and join us.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. I pray that God blesses you with moments of gentle sunlight and cool breezes that are surely the Holy Spirit at work.

God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+