Andrew.Simon's blog

Pastoral Acts:

3/11/12-Baptism: Maxwell and Martin Agustin

Additional Activities:

THRIVENT CHOICE: I met with Bryan Schmeling over lunch in March to discuss how St. James can better utilize the "Thrivent Choice" program.  Our congregation received approximately $1100 from this program in 2011.  Other congregations throughout New England have received average amounts of $4,000-5,000.  We will review some possible strategies at a future council meeting.

What is the “stone” in your life right now?  That thing that keeps you awake at night, wondering how you will ever move it?  Or that issue that creeps into your mind when you’d rather be thinking of other things?  Maybe the “stone” in your life is something you’ve struggled with for a long time.  Though you’ve tried over and over again, you haven’t figured out how to roll it away when it blocks you from the life you really want to be living.

The other day I Googled what people give up for Lent.  What I found wasn’t really much of a surprise.  There were links to lists of things: “The most clichéd things people give up for Lent”, “25 Creative Ideas of what to give up for Lent”, and even a list of “Cool Things to give up for Lent.”  Many of these lists began with the same three things: chocolate, alcohol, and swearing.  It seems that these are the three most common things that people give up for Lent.  I have tried