August
10, 2008
The
Tiny Whispering Sound
Convent
Update
By the time you read this, the Westbury Board of Zoning appeals should
have announced their decision on whether we can use the Convent Building
for Westbrook Preparatory School -- a residential school for 24 children
with Asperger Syndrome. Unfortunately, at the time this bulletin had
to be at the printer, the board hadn’t met yet so we can’t
publish the outcome in the bulletin. But you CAN see the latest online
here.
This
Floors Us
During
the next couple of weeks we’ll be putting some extra coats of
sealant on the wooden floors of the church where we’re starting
to see a wear pattern. This means that certain sections of the church
will be cordoned off for a few days during the week so the finish can
dry properly. Sorry for any inconvenience.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past
Columns:
August 3: A Proud and Tender
Moment
July 27: What
would you ask for?
July 20: Waiting
for the Wheat
July
13: What we Wear
uly
6: We Welcome Westbrook
June
29: Sommer in the Summer
June 22: Welcome
Father Jaime
June 15: Father
Gonzalo Lopez
June 8: What happened
on Sunday
June 1: Where
do you belong?
May
25: We are the Body of Christ
May 18: Trinity,
It's About Unity
May 11: We are
One in the Spirit
May 4: Who's in
Your Top Twelve?
April 27: Now
that he's gone...
April 20: Yay
Deacons!
April 13: Here
comes the Pope
April 6: Fresh Oil
March 30: What are you doing
for Easter?
March 23: Can Easter come
too early?
March 16: Which crowd is
yours?
March 9: We believe, yet...
March 2: Oil or Mud
February
24: What are you thirsting for?
February 17: Who are You
Wearing?
February 10: Just Say No
February
3: The January
20: Being Safer
January 13: Conversations
in 2008
January 6: Matthew's Magi
December 30:
What's Next?
Columns from
2007
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns
from 2003
Columns from 2002
Among
my favorite scripture passages is this Sunday’s first reading from
1 Kings 19:9-13. Elijah, the prophet, was told that the Lord would be
passing by. And then Elijah experiences a great wind (but the Lord was
not in the wind); then he experiences an earthquake (but the Lord was
not in the earthquake); then he experiences fire (but the Lord was not
in the fire). Next, as the story goes,“there was a tiny whispering
sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and
stood at the entrance of the cave.”
For me, I encounter the presence
of God in these quiet tiny whispering moments of my life. But all too
often, the noise of daily existence is in competition with the silent
whispers. So I need to get away from the phone, the TV, the radio, the
computer and just be still.
I’m glad this reading comes
up just before the last weeks of summer because it inspires me to use
some of the relaxing time of this season to experience stillness and be
open to the powerful presence of God in the silence. (And it inspires
me to take the last couple of weeks of the summer for vacation -- not
that I really needed much inspiration for that!)
Perhaps you too will be inspired
to seek the Lord in quiet moments in the days ahead. Turn down the noise...relax...shhhh...
the Lord is very near. Listen.
