Dear Faith Des Peres Community,

Are you busy?  I know, I know, dumb question.  Of course I'm busy, I can hear some of you saying!  And I know that many of you are busy.  You're busy attending to work and family, busy at the church, and/or busy trying to serve your community or school or charity of choice.  Busy is the name of the game in today's culture.

But has your busy-ness driven you to worry and distraction?  This is a serious question that I want you to honestly answer.  Take a moment to answer it . . .

If you said "yes", you're not alone.  There's a woman in the Bible named Martha who was so busy that she was worried and distracted to the point that she was neglecting the things in life that were really important, like her family and God.  She'd let her distractions and worries get the best of her, and she was starting to lash out at those around her.

I think all of us, in our busy and frantic society, can learn something from Martha's story.  We can also hear in her story the Good News that our worth isn't measured by how much we do, but instead is measured by who we are: children of God who are loved by God.  

I hope you'll come on Sunday to hear this Good News and find relief from your busy week.  Don't forget this Sunday we worship at the Old Meeting House, just south of Clayton Road on Geyer Road.

Covenant Network: In July, the Session approved joining the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.  By joining the Covenant Network, the Session affirmed the Call to Covenant Community which states:

With the help of God’s grace, the Covenant Network of Presbyterians is called to strengthen the Church of Jesus Christ by furthering the inclusion of persons identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) that was signaled by the adoption of G-2.0104b; by supporting sessions and presbyteries as they apply these ordination standards; and by working for the unity of the church, engaging in conversations with those with whom we disagree, seeking understanding and reconciliation. In this crucial time in church and culture, the Covenant Network remains committed to serving the church, believing that Jesus Christ has already made us one and that we are better equipped to carry out our larger ministry and witness when we are together.

Being an inclusive church is not new for Faith Des Peres, but by joining the Covenant Network we are publicly affirming our commitment to inclusion and our belief that God calls all people to ordained offices regardless of sexual preference.  We are also affirming, as the Covenant Network does, our commitment to work for a church that is faithful, just and whole and is open to a variety of viewpoints.  Indeed, the latter is why the Covenant Network has appealed to the broad middle of the church, and no one should feel excluded from Faith Des Peres because of the Session's actions. We want to be inclusive of all people.  

Look for more information about the Covenant Network in the weeks to come.  And please, if you have any questions about the Session's decision, do not hesitate to contact Pastor Annie or a member of the session.

And speaking of mission: I hope you will join us August 11 to hear Rev. Jed Koball, our mission partner in Peru.  You can learn more about Jed and his mission work here.  We hope everyone will come out to support mission and learn from Jed!  It will be a great morning.