[Magdalen] Prayers for my church

[Marilyn Cepeda]

My prayers. I am in much the same boat minus the negative people. We are
vacant and struggling financially but with a rich outreach program. We have
a regular supply priest
And I do services when he is not there. I am all in favor of extended
vacancies so that folks have a chance to grow together and fiend their
talents and deal with their flaws. This rarely is done, imnsho, with a
priest in residence. The priest gets the blame instead.

Marilyn

On Sunday, February 15, 2015, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
wrote:

> We said goodbye to our priest this morning  :-(  Despite the bitter bitter
> cold, turnout was pretty good
>
> Our bishop doesn't like our deficit and says we can't have a full-time
> priest.  No search committee for us, and if we don't improve it we could be
> closed.  And here we are, running a food bank and holding cooking classes
> for our food bank users, our neighbours literally
>
> We have a bunch of poisonous people, long long time members, who hated him
> and left and are poised to return now that he has left. Those who are still
> with us wouldn't contribute to the gifts from the different ministries,
> nothing, and didn't show up this morning. Poisonous.  The viper in our
> bosom.
>
> We did the end of a Pastoral Relationship and I got to lead those
> prayers.  Too rich for my sentimental blood, although I came through -- a
> close run thing.  He's well out of it!
>
> Marion, a pilgrim   ... today my sail I lift ....
>
> My church needs prayers very badly.  Of your mercy, pray for us.
>


-- 
Marilyn Cepeda