All Saints Gazette: Not What I Thought Mexico Would Look Like
Greetings from All Saints!
This week at All Saints:
Sunday, 4 May, 17:30: Eucharist and Potluck at Vrijburg and (experimentally) online
Monday to Friday, 9:00 and 18:00: Daily Prayer on Zoom
For online events, see the church calendar for links
Last week, I had the second most drastic (and most annoying) en route change of destinations I’ve ever experienced in my life. We were on our way to Mexico with a connection in Dublin, and they made us get off the second plane before take off because one of my kids had motion sickness and threw up. Apparently Irish liability law is pretty extreme (as I see things), so they couldn’t risk him throwing up and getting dehydrated on board. They wouldn’t let us back on until I took him to a doctor, which meant that our separately booked connecting flight from New York to Mérida left without us. Peter could tell I was pretty shaken on the way to the emergency room, but he sweetly to me, “Papa, it’s okay. I was looking forward to Mexico, but a vacation in Ireland will also be nice.” So after a few late night calls to several airlines and crossing our fingers that our travel insurance will come through for us, we hastily arranged a itinerary in Ireland.
Wouldn’t you know that this week’s reading from the book of Acts is about the conversion of St. Paul? Paul, formerly Saul, was a very enthusiastic lad loved his tradition and community, and he was on his way to discipline (i.e. arrest and possibly torture) people who were doing it wrong. But along the way, Jesus spoke to him and informed him that he would indeed be traveling for the love of God and sharing truths, but not in the way he imagined. Paul did not so much experience a change in destination as a change in purpose. Still being on vacation, I’m not going to wrack my brain too hard to come up with something profound to say about it. I will invite you to read the text though (it’s short). I’ll just drop two things, both a bit underdeveloped, but both true:
1.) Be as certain as the man who become St. Paul ever was that God is with you and that your life and the community you love has an important purpose that is worth struggling for.
2.) Never be too certain about what exactly that purpose is, nor too quick to become defensive, or even violent, or insist on defining your identity over and against someone else, even when they’re wrong.
Also, Ireland is lovely, though I may go at least slightly out of my way to avoid that particular airline in the future.
Come to Church (but if you can’t come, get on Zoom)
We’ll try a little experiment this week. If you can’t make it to church, join by Zoom. The link will be on the calendar. In All Saints fashion, we will largely figure this out while we’re doing it, so I don’t know what to tell you to expect. And (speaking as myself, not with the disembodied voice of officialdom) I would encourage you to come in person if you can. We can pray for you through a screen, but we can’t feed you!
Congratulations Savan!
Savan was baptized last week by one of her other communities, with Mpho present to give the blessing. As we say to everyone who is baptized: “We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 308).
Keep a good thing going!
The bishop’s committee is having extra meetings to get statues and things done so we can get ANBI. In the meantime, please invest what you can in the community you want, and try putting in just a little more than you first feel comfortable with (without causing yourself hardship, of course). There is enough if we share! Please hold our upcoming pledge drive in your prayers, in addition to supporting us as you are presently able.
Use the QR code or this link, or make a transfer through your banking app (the latter saves us a few cents). Please consider making your offering recurring, and pray about what you are called to pledge when we have our winter pledge drive.
Bank details
All Saints Amsterdam
IBAN NL32 TRIO 0320 8657 62
BIC TRIONL2U
That’s all for Today! Want to talk to a priest? We want to talk to you too!
Website: https://allsaintsamsterdam.church
Mpho: mpho@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Kyle: kyle@allsaintsamsterdam.church
General: info@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Instagram: @allsaintsamsterdam.church
