January 2018
From the Rector’s desk; What does it mean to begin again? by Rev. Anthony MacWhinnie, II
January 1st. New beginnings… What does it mean to begin again? And why now? I mean, really, the first of the New Year, while traditional, is an arbitrary time to begin again. Why not on August 10th, or September 5th, or January 3rd? Now, if you were in my family, or knew personal information about us, you’d know exactly what I just did, because, those dates aren’t random. Those are Elizabeth’s, Trey’s and Ruby’s birthdays. My point here is that every day has significance to someone. May 16th was my parent’s anniversary. November 25th, my mother’s birthday. May 2nd is the anniversary of my priestly ordination. Those are all “random” days, but they sure mean something to me. Every day has meaning. It’s just that that meaning is not always shared by everyone, except for this one; January 1st. It means something, doesn’t it? Well, it does to everyone that shares our calendar. For those who do, it means something special. It means we have an opportunity for new life, a new beginning. The fact that it is in the dead of winter is significant to me for multiple reasons. I think that that is when we need the hope of a new beginning. When it is darkest and bleakest and coldest, we choose a new beginning and look to the future. We close the door on the past. We move on with our lives. We embrace change. We embolden ourselves and steal ourselves with courage. And we do so as a group. Yes, it starts with each of us individually, but then it grows into a movement. It starts small, but then grows to encompass the whole world. Like a little baby in a manger, with just his mother and father and a few animals in a stable, with some tender care and determination, we can grow into new people. We can
Our Staff & Vestry Rev, Anthony MacWhinnie, II, Rector Vestry: Susan Early, Margaree Mills-Fitchett Dora Giles, Beth Woods & Jim Warner Twinette McDonald - Music Director Sally Putters - Parish Nurse
become the people that we believe we are destined to be. With a little help from our friends, with a lot of help from God, and with a newfound faith in ourselves, this day, this year, this time we can make a new beginning. Every day has meaning. What do you need to do to begin again? Today is your day. Anthony+
Sunday, January 7
After church in the Parish Hall
All women of the church are invited to join us for our monthly meeting. This month we will be inducting our officers and discussing the annual calendar.