120 Telephone 410-825-3360
From the Pastor:
The title of this column “From the Pastor” got me thinking about an encounter I had a few weeks ago with a young man who grew up in this congregation. He was with a young woman and he stopped to say hello. When he introduced me to the young woman he did it with the words: “This is my old pastor.” I wasn’t sure which bothered me more… the word old, or the combination of the words old and pastor. I thought about asking him if he had a new pastor, which I thought was unlikely, or if he had just outgrown the need of being “pastored”… which is not a word, but does sound dangerously close to the word “pestered”.
Most people here don’t call me pastor, and that is fine with me. Mr. Wittstadt in his good German Lutheran tradition at times calls me “Herr Pastor”, which is fine and works within that Lutheran tradition. Still, I worry about the use of this term pastor. It was derived from an old French word used for “herdsman” or “to feed.” And certainly my position brings an expectation of feeding with the word of truth and maintaining order in worship and our congregational life. Shepherding is the word we usually think of in relationship to pastoral ministry, but latent in that word is the idea that I am somehow a person (or possibly a border collie, or in the case of “Babe”… a pig) while the rest of you in the congregation are merely sheep. Am I supposed to be some how metaphysically different from you. Isn’t there something sheepish about me and something of the shepherd in you as well?
Implicit in the term pastor is a hierarchy that should make us, as Baptists, uneasy. Where is the place for “Soul Liberty,” or the working of the spirit in each individual? Is it my place to tell you where you should and shouldn’t go, and if you go some place I deem inappropriate should I drag you back? Would that make me a shepherd or a cult leader? I am sad when people leave this congregation to join other flocks or go it on their own, but I feel that I must respect their ability and responsibility to decide on their own path… even though the path ahead may appear to me to be fraught with danger.
I try to be as faithful to what I believe a Christian should be as I possibly can be… I try to be an example to you… but I am not perfect, and on some issues I may be (or choose to be) naive. I am thankful that many of you have chosen to walk with me through life… to listen and to share your ideas.
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
Wednesday Evening Programs as
usual.
October 4th
Return cakes.
October 5th Communion.
October 8th
8:00 p.m. Deacons’ Meeting
October 9th
3:30-6:00p.m. Shelter Meal Preparation
October 12th
Coffee Hour following Church Service.
October 13th
12 Noon
Annie Armstrong Circle: meeting at the church at 11:30 a.m., then
going together to Shepherds’ Clinic to do volunteer work for them. Wendy Wallace is the hostess, 410-321-0043.
Please bring a sandwich.
October 20th
7:30 p.m. Needles and News meeting in the home of Judy Weimert, 410-825-5366
October 25th 5:30 p.m. Fall Fest get- together
Everyone is invited to carve some pumpkins and help celebrate the Fall Season. There will be more announcements about this, but be sure to mark this date on your calendar now.
October 27th
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sarah’s
Hope. Volunteers are needed whenever
you can come during this time. Sign up
on the attendance card to let us know when and if you can help.
November 2nd
Set your clocks back.
November 2nd 9:00 a.m.
Plans are being made now for our Missions Breakfast. Sign up on the cards and let us know if you would like to help with the preparation of or clean up after the meal.
Tithes & Offerings Budget to date $104,150
Tithes & Offerings Received 86,648
-$ 17,502
OCTOBER
26th
The Assistance Center is planning
for its annual Thanksgiving
Basket Project. Last year, the
supporting Churches and Towson Community contributed 1750 baskets to be
distributed throughout the area. The Center must be notified as to the number of baskets
we will provide by October
26th so that a specific number can be pledged to the Dept. of
Social Services and this also determines how many gift certificates they will need
to purchase. A list of items, needs, and
instructions are in the Church office. (Dry milk is off of the list). It is
important these instructions be followed to keep the baskets consistent. The
food baskets are to be delivered to and distributed from Trinity Episcopal
Church’s Memorial Hall. Volunteers are
needed to help in the preparation and distribution of these baskets. All who
are interested in participating by contributing items of food, cash, or by volunteering, please contact the Church office 825-3360 for any information
you may need.
Dear Revered
Weimert,
On behalf of the
Daily Bread Committee of Immaculate Conception, I would like to thank all of
the wonderful parishioners of
Sincerely,
Jo Miller,
Immaculate Conception Volunteer