July 29

Beloved families of Good Shepherd,

Peace be with you! Yesterday our Moms’ Ministry group gathered for a summer playdate at Woodland Park. What began as a playdate for the children soon became a playdate for the moms! Some of our moms climbed on the gyroscope spinner and started laughing as they spun around and around.  We were all lifted high above the heaviness of the world as we laughed and played together.

In Faith Like a Child, author Lacy Finn Borgo says play is essential for our spiritual and emotional health as we journey through each developmental stage of life. Borgo says play is natural for children, but for adults it has to be intentional. Borgo describes the transformative power of play to “help us work out our fears, to bring them to our Divine Parent and receive healing presence.” Borgo also knows that play can help us awaken to the joy and wonder of life that children instinctively possess. Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas understood play to be a necessary component of a holy life:  “Therefore, unmitigated seriousness betokens a lack of virtue because it wholly despises play, which is as necessary for a good human life as rest is.”

Our Moms’ Ministry group offers our church and day school moms a chance to play and grow in Jesus’ Way of Love together. This ministry provides a nurturing space for mothers to gather for friendship, support, and spiritual growth in the midst of motherhood. We are excited to offer two meeting times for our Moms’ Ministry groups this fall:

• 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month, 8:45 am - 9:45 am (child care is provided in our nursery)

• 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm beginning Thursday, September 10 (child care will be provided if needed)

Both of these meetings will be held in the Bishop’s House, 536 Sayre Ave. To learn more and/or to join this group, visit our Moms’ Ministry group.

It is hard to believe that the end of summer is already upon us! Please mark your calendars for our Back to School Blessing of Students and Teachers, Parish Picnic, and Lifeline Meal Packing event on Sunday, August 16. We’ll gather for lunch that afternoon at Ashland Elementary for a wonderful time of fellowship and service. Our goal is to pack 10,000 food bags for our partner schools and our neighbors across the region. Register to be part of our food bag packing team HERE!

We hope to see you this Sunday!

Many Blessings,

Patty