Dear Holy Spiriters,

During my sermon last week, I spoke a little bit about showing up. As Jesus showed up and was present with all those he taught and healed we too need to show up to be with one another. We need to show up because where two or three are gathered God is there too. God is also with us when we are alone but that is only half of the greatest commandment, you know, “Love God and Love neighbor.” In that commandment you can see God’s will for us to live life more abundantly through him with each other. St. Paul does describe the church as the Body of Christ, so being with neighbors is being with God.

Thank you.

Thank you for the wonderful Sunday welcome even though some of you still had no power you managed to come. Thank you.

My family enjoyed meeting you, especially Camille.

I am looking forward to many great days here at Holy Spirit.

I also want to take a moment to share a letter that Melissa Peter sent to the staff. What a wonderful thing to do.

My dear friends at Holy Spirit. It is my last chance to say goodbye in print in the Spirit Shot. It has been a wonderful experience for me to spend some time with you all in the service of Jesus. Sarah and I have truly enjoyed making friends with many of you and especially connecting with you at our Sunday Celebrations of the Eucharist. I have also especially relished our time together during our special Christian Formation events and times. For some of you, we have also rubbed shoulders at Vestry or School Board or staff meetings together. In whatever capacity, I have been blessed by our time together and the relationships that we have built. The Spirit is alive and well among you!

Dear Friends at Holy Spirit.

I am looking forward to celebrating with you all this Sunday around our Altar and offering thanks for the blessings that come to us through answering the call to be Fathers and to nurture life and serve as role models to our children and to others.  We will have a special Fathers’ Day blessing for those who gather to worship as well as a little gift bag for all the POPS with us Sunday.

I wanted to let you all know that I will be out of town this week, heading to Chicago, for what is called the “Chapter” of my Franciscan Community, The Community of Francis and Clare. We begin Tuesday and finish the following Monday.  I’ll return to town on 25 June.  We gather once a year from several countries and a couple continents as an Anglican Franciscan Community.  It is a wonderful event, a celebration of our Community in prayer, study, and siblinghood together.  Many of us can visit with each other only via Zoom throughout the year and so look forward to a little time together in person. You can check out the Community at the website: CFCFranciscans.org Our Bishop Visitor is Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. She will be with us throughout the week.

Hello Holy Spirit!

Help the new rector get to know you - add a photo of you and your family members to Realm

Let's make it easier for our new rector to learn our names. All you need to do is email a picture of yourself to Shelia at swilliams@hsechurch.org. Just grab a recent photo from your camera roll or snap a quick selfie! If you have family members that are also part of Holy Spirit, send in their photos and names as well. The office staff will do the leg work of adding your submitted photo to your Realm profile. Technologically challenged?  Grab your friend and ask them to snap a photo of you and email it on your behalf (with your name in the subject line). 

Welcoming Fr. Mitch & the Family to Houston

As many of you know, Father Mitch and his family will be moving into the rectory on June 17. If you would like the opportunity to drop by and introduce yourself, help with a little unpacking, or even bring lunch or a snack, Wednesday June 19 is the day to do that. Tentative times to visit are 10 am -3 pm, but subject to change. I will be there around 9:30 with breakfast kolaches and meet the family. Please let me know if you are interested. Perhaps several of you could go in together and bring lunch around noon. Just click on link below to email Pat Groves, so that she can coordinate.

Dear Friends,

Summer has arrived with a kind of vengeance already, as the winds blow and temperatures and humidity rise. The storm season is a reality now with the hurricane season upon us. Taking care and planning for what might come to be is in all our minds. Being responsible to the needs we have and may soon have is very real to us, our families and to our communities. I hope that each of us can take some time to make sure we are as ready as we can be to meet some of the challenges that may yet come our way. In the face of the uncertainty of the future and the lack of control that we have over the seasons and the weather, it is even more important to be sure to stay connected to each other, to family and to friends. Let’s make an extra effort, as we move into the summer, to be connected in our communication and in our prayer. I hope that as Sundays come and go, we can be present to one another in prayer and thought and, whenever possible, in person for worship.