Encountering Christ

This week in Holy Cross Chapel we talked about Encountering Christ; in worship, in life, and in each other.

Every Sunday morning a team of volunteers give their time and talents to bring the Bible to life for our children and youth. They see Jesus in the faces of our kids and our kids are given a glimpse at Christ's love for them in the dedication of the adults who lead their small groups.

Have you hugged a Sunday school teacher today?

Family Retreat 2010

We are Family! on PhotoPeach

Shrove Tuesday

On February 16, Palmer Youth sponsored the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. With the help of adult sponsors, pancakes, bacon, and red beans and rice were served to a hungry crowd. Over $750 was raised to benefit Youth Missions.

Palmer Kids decorated an "Alleluia" banner and locked it away in preparation for Lent.

Elementary school students are invited to join us in Holy Cross Chapel on Wednesday evenings for Pre-YC's Lenten Bible Study; Encounter, Grow, & Serve in Christ.

Thank you for your prayers

I thank you all for your prayers for healing these last few weeks. I continue to get better every day but am still taking things at a pretty slow pace.

Sunday school continues, in spite of cold and flu season hitting with a vengeance. A recap of the events of the last few weeks will be up soon, including photos from Shrove Tuesday and the Palmer Family Retreat.

I look forward to spending more time in the office as I recover. Blessing to all, Robyn

Marathon Sunday 2010

Be strong and let your heart take courage. Psalm 27:14

Sunday, January 17 was Marathon Sunday. In proud Palmer tradition, runners were greeted along Main Street with bagpipes, Holy Water, and the cheers of our congregation. Behind the scenes, the Palmer children gathered in Holy Cross Chapel during Sunday school and prayed, naming each friend, family member, and teacher while asking God to see them safely across the finish line. Our prayers were answered. Congratulations to all who ran.

God is there.

At a meeting yesterday, I was asked to participate in a guided meditation around prayer. We were told to think about a time that we were in prayer and felt the presence of God. They challenged us to go back to that place in our minds and try to feel what we felt at the time. All I felt was like I had developed a multiple-personality disorder. Three different images were battling for space in my meditative attempts.

First, I thought about the Church of the Sacred Heart in Paris, France. I remember walking in there after a wonderful day of sight-seeing. I was tired and excited, thankful and slightly overwhelmed. David and I had stopped in to pray and there, above my head, was the mosaic of the sacred heart of Christ. I have never felt so instantly peaceful. Surely God was in this place, at this exact moment, because holding my hand was the man I was spending the rest of my life with. God was there in my happiness.

The second picture wrestling for a place was the hay field on my grandparent's farm. It was my childhood "praying spot". I went there after my parents told me they were getting divorced. I remember the way the hay smelled, the sound of the birds, and the feel of sun shining down on me. God was there in my fear and uncertainty.

Finally, I pictured myself in the front seat of a car with the windows down and the radio cranked to an unhealthy volume. The make and model of the car change with the years and the song playing can be anything from U2 to Andrew Lloyd Weber, from Amy Grant to the Palmer choir. It's where I go when I am mad: about fighting the school system for the rights of my special needs child, or my husband's job, or the cat that just threw up on my sofa. This week, my music choice is Nicole C. Mullins and while she sings, I am made more aware of His presence. God is there in my anger.

Now go and read Psalm 139 and join me in thinking about all the times and all the ways God has shown you that he is there. Share some of them with your children and help them to be more aware of God's presence in all their own moments.

Peace and Love, Robyn

Bringing in the New Year

Sunday was our first gathering of the new year. It was wonderful to see the kids who braved the cold weather to join us for Sunday school.

God is Good on PhotoPeach