Saint Monica's Episcopal Church
Messenger
June 2016
From the Rector’s desk by Rev. Anthony MacWhinnie, II
I grew up in the Episcopal Church. Some of my longest relationships are with churches and people in those churches from this very diocese. In fact, my oldest and best friend and I met when we were little boys at an Episcopal Church. We acolyted together. We attended lock-ins together. We went to Sunday School together. We were confirmed together. We had sleep-overs together. And we were lucky that our parents facilitated all this togetherness. We did everything together, including stir up trouble. My mother used to say that he was a bad influence on me. And his mother used to say the same thing about me! And you know what?? They were both probably right! In the long run, though, we’ve been a great support to each other. And it’s that long run that I want to speak about. Growing up, my best friend and I used to go to his grandparent’s house and, among other things, we’d play pool. There were rules that we had to abide by. We had to take care of the felt. We had to use chalk appropriately. We had to cover the table when were finished. Never were we allowed to sit on the table. Cues could only be stored on the rack, not just willy-nilly strewn around the garage. There were expectations placed upon us and the consequences would be permanent banishment should we breach them. Along with the expectations though, there were rewards. Snacks, a place to be, and pool lessons were big on the list. Quickly, one of the lessons we learned was about “the long green.” Granddaddy’s pool table seemed to be a quarter mile long. If the cue was at one end and the object ball at the other, well, it was the hardest shot in the game. The
long green took patience. The long green took skill. And where we had no skill, the long green took practice. In the end, the long green gave us something back. Like Paul’s suffering, endurance, character, and hope, the long green seemed to give us some of all of that. Our job was just to keep at it and learn the lessons as they came. The season after Pentecost is sometimes referred to as the “long green season” because the liturgical color for the rest of the year, sans special occasions, is green. Sometimes it can feel like there is nothing happening. Sometimes it can feel rote and repetitive. But, through the years, I’ve come to realize that the long green works a magic all its own. It molds us. It shapes us. And, it imparts life lessons that only the long green can. So, keep your eye on the ball. Keep your hand steady. Get low and strike fluidly. Whether you sink the shot or not, the long green will teach you something, if only you let it. Anthony+
Opening Soon! At 470 S. Hwy. 29
Our Staff & Vestry Rev, Anthony MacWhinnie, II, Rector Vestry: Chuck Barnett - Senior Warden Dan Ferguson- Junior Warden/Co-Treasurer Beth Woods, Susan Early, Ann Philen & John Velaski Brenda Ferguson—Church Secretary Twinette McDonald - Music Director Sally Putters - Parish Nurse
To volunteer or for information on when and where to drop off donations, contact Dawn Hayes