Invitation to...

Watch your mailboxes in the next week or two, as your board of directors is sending out a very special invitation. Some of you may already have noted it on your calendar. We will be marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of our church on November 5th. This celebration will also be an official fundraiser for the Living Gold 2012 international conference next July. We are very pleased to be able to combine these two events together in such a way.
I noticed that my last blog was called "Giving Birth".
For this one, I would like to talk about the word, "crowning". This is one of those words in the English language that can have a variety of meanings. It can be either an adjective or a verb.
Let's take the adjective first:
Over the past 40 years, we have so far had 4 priests: Rev. Hegg, Rev. Grimm, Rev. Kientzler and Rev. Locey.
I would like to point out that of the 4, Rev. Werner Grimm has served our community for 32 years now, and I feel that our 40th anniversary could be considered his "crowning" achievement, to a great extent. We are very fortunate to have both Werner and Dietmot still participating so actively. Without Dietmot, we would not have home made bread for communion, or flowers gracing our altar so often.
As a verb, particularly on the subject of birth, you also have the term "crowning", which is when the baby's head first makes its appearance. This is the moment when all of a sudden that baby is a living reality. You still don't know anything else about this baby, but you know it is going to be here any minute! This picture can be applied to the 2012 conference. It's getting closer and closer, and one day we will wake up and know that it is almost upon us.
We have our anniversary on the one hand, celebrating all the hard work and support with which our church has been blessed over the years, and on the other hand, the 2012 conference: heralding the beginning of something new for our community.
There is usually a lot of preparation and excitement in a family when a new baby is coming. Friends, relatives, and co-workers all want to get involved. Maybe it involves fixing up a nursery, or helping the mother so she doesn't get too worn out, or making sure all the necessities will be on hand to help the family with unavoidable costs.
As we look back on the 40 years that have already passed, we can also ask ourselves, is all in readiness for what lies ahead? What kind of legacy are we leaving for those who will be coming after us? Is everything neat and tidy and in good repair, or is it all falling apart?
By now you may have noticed the bolding of the number 40. This is because coincidentally, it takes about 40 weeks from the time of conception the birth of a baby, and come to think of it, as of the middle of October, we will have 40 weeks left before the conference!
Let's get ready for that baby.

Sparky