Seasons

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

I love summer!  I love spending more time outdoors than in.  I love getting all sweaty hiking or running or working in the yard, and then jumping into a cool shower or a refreshingly cold lake.  I love summer deluges of rain and thunderstorms followed by cool nights.  I love sleeping under a single sheet with no blankets and waking to the early morning sun.

I don’t know about you, but I may have to be dragged kicking and creaming into my fall clothes.  You may have to tap me on the shoulder and invite me out of my summer daydreams to join you in the realities of fall.

But what great activities we have in store for you this fall…

Day of Service  On Saturday, September 6, we head into our fall season with a day at the Federal Way Farmer’s Market.  We will be handing out water bottles with the Calvary logo on them, inviting families to join us for worship and learning, and providing school supplies and comfort kits to kids for school.  The band will play, puppets will be performing, and your hospitality and support will make it a great day.

Coming Attractions  Let the forums begin!  On September 7, leaders from the congregation will give you a preview of upcoming events for the fall—namely, stewardship and the annual financial plan for 2015, the beginnings of a capital campaign, and our 60th Anniversary celebrations.  Come learn more about Calvary’s mission and vision.

Creating Welcome  On September 14, we begin a series on how to be more intentional about
welcoming newcomers: “Creating Welcome” is the theme for this three-week forum series.  We will talk, walk through practical exercises to raise our awareness of how to welcome, and hear from a panel of people who have experienced welcome here at Calvary.

Love and Marriage  Dovetailing on our “Welcome” series, we will be discussing Marriage in the October Adult Forum.  The Marriage Policy Task Force, which convened last spring to facilitate conversations within the congregation about Calvary’s marriage policy, will help us begin to make sense of what it means to be a Lutheran congregation in a state in which same-sex marriage is legal.  Currently, our congregation has no set policy about gay marriage.  Our special guest for this conversation will be Bishop Rick Jaech, who will join us to preach, and will lead the October 19 Forum.

And the Band Plays On  Our own Tony Willing and his Portage Fill Big Band will headline Calvary’s Anniversary Outreach Fundraiser for Reach Out on Saturday, October 25. We are inviting friends and members of the Federal Way community to join us in raising funds to benefit our winter homeless shelters and celebrate our 60th Anniversary with a lot of big band music and swing dancing.  (Oh, come on, you know you want to!)  Save some room and collect your pennies, because the Dessert Auction that night will feature delicious, sometimes-sophisticated creations by our own members, friends, and a few local businesses.  Yum!  So invite friends; ask people you work with or work out with; heck, welcome some strangers—and join us for this celebration.  Can’t wait to get my swing on!

Okay, maybe fall will be easier to adjust to than I’d anticipated.  I’m getting excited already.  (But now that I’m done writing this article, it’s time to dream of white sand beaches and tropical fish for a few more days…)

Looking forward to getting back in season with you.

Your sister in Christ,

Rev. Lori A. Cornell