As Summer Draws to a Close
Another summer season is beginning to fold itself gently into memory.
It is always a little bittersweet here in Stone Harbor. Summer seems to arrive all at once, full of familiar faces, returning families, sandy feet, open doors, crowded pews, laughter, music, and the particular joy of being together. Then, almost before we are ready, the light begins to change. The evenings come a little sooner. Suitcases are packed. Goodbyes begin.
Before we let this season go, though, we have one wonderfully full Saturday ahead of us.
This Saturday begins with our Bake Sale from 9:00 a.m. to noon, followed by Music with a Mission, a fundraiser benefiting Branches, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Then, at 5:30, we will gather one final time this summer for our Saturday Service on the Beach.
It feels fitting somehow. Food shared. Music offered for the sake of others. Prayer lifted beside the sea. Community woven together through generosity, service, friendship, and worship.
And beneath all of it is gratitude.
I am grateful for every person who baked something, carried something, donated something, sang something, organized something, set up a table, folded a bulletin, welcomed a stranger, offered a prayer, made a contribution, or simply showed up. Parish life is built through these seemingly ordinary acts of love. Together, they become something holy.
I am especially grateful for all who have shared this summer with us at St. Mary’s. Some of you are here year-round. Some return faithfully each season. Some walked through our doors for the first time this summer. Each of you has added something to the life of this parish, and each has helped remind us that the Church is far more than a building. The Church is a people gathered by Christ, sent into the world to love, serve, welcome, heal, and hope.
As our summer friends begin their journeys home, please know that you travel with our love and our prayers. Wherever the months ahead take you, you remain part of the St. Mary’s family.
And for those of us who remain, another season of ministry is already waiting. God is always doing something new among us.
So this weekend, perhaps we can linger just a little. Share one more conversation. Sing one more song. Stand once more with our feet in the sand as the waves roll toward the shore. Give thanks for what has been, bless what is becoming, and trust the God who accompanies us through every changing season.
Thank you for a beautiful summer.
May God bless your going and your staying, your endings and your beginnings, and may the love we have shared here continue to ripple outward long after the summer crowds have gone.
With love and gratitude,
Mo. Allison+
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