The Blessing of Hands for our Lay Pastoral Care Team and for all of our parishioners engaged in healing work, both professionally and on a volunteer basis will be held on October 27th and 28th.  We want to honor those who lift others up with their time, gifts, and energy.  To be present with someone seeking physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual wholeness is a very powerful ministry - something to be celebrated by us all.

On All Saints' weekend, November 3rd and 4th, we will use incense during our 10:00 Eucharist.  The presence of incense symbolizes our prayers rising up to God and has a long history as part of the Church's worship.  However, we're aware that incense can present challenges for some of our members, and to minimize its impact, we've implemented a new policy for its use.  First, we hope this advance notice will encourage parishioners to prepare beforehand - and have on hand - whatever respiratory medication might be required.  Second, we are going to drastically reduce the amount of incense we use.  There will still be aroma but very little smoke.  We use hypo-allergenic incense - which is a hardened tree resin.  The igniter is a charcoal briquette similar to what you'd use at a cookout.  The incense will be prepared and will remain outside until the moment the procession starts, reducing buildup in the Church immediately prior to worship.  If incense causes you distress - or if you simply don't like it - the best place to sit is near one of the outer walls, not on the aisle.  There will also be less incense in the very middle of the Church, and more of it in the very back and up front.  We hope that our new policy and this information will help us use incense in a safe, responsible way.  If you have any questions, please contact the church office. 

On Saturday, November 3rd, at 3:30pm in Board Hall, we offer an experience of meditative prayer that may be new to many of you: walking the labyrinth.  If you're curious about what this is, simply Google Chartres Cathedral.  It's not a maze, but a pathway leading to a center section and back out again, which symbolizes our life and the journey of faith we share toward the mystery of the Heart of God.  More detailed information will be available soon.  This will be led by Robert Bozeman.