Dear Church Family,

We have just returned from a long weekend visit with my brother and cousin and their wives in  Ocean City, NJ.  This was where we spent time for several summers as kids, so it is full of memories.  The weather was mixed, cool and windy with some rain, but it did not deter us from spending time on the beach and boardwalk, having daily pastries from a bakery we patronized in the 1950s, and enjoying dinners at some favorite restaurants.  There was lots of good talk, sharing memories, and constant laughter.  It was especially good spending time with our sister in law Gretchen, who is undergoing treatment for terminal cancer and for whom we have been praying
regularly.   Now back to the daunting task of paring down and packing

We came back to a nice harvest of tomatoes.  It has been our best year ever and I will miss gardening and yard work, but there is the opportunity to have a little patch in the community garden at our new residence. We also have a balcony where we can have some plants as well.

On this day when we remember with sadness those who died or lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks 24 years ago, we have experienced yet another act of political violence.  Such acts have no place in our world and are a grim reminder of how important it is-especially as followers of
Jesus-- not to succumb to the all too common tendency in our society to demonize those with whom we disagree.

We are looking forward to being back with you this Sunday.  The sermon title is “When the Spirit Groans” and the texts are Ezekiel 37:1-10 and Romans 8: 22-27.

I hope to see many of you at the porch picnic tonight at 5 p.m.

Peace and Joy,

Rich