The Feast of Pentecost

No RSVP Needed

St. Margaret's Emmaus,
9 a.m. Sunday morning
May 23rd...

Crash Your Local Episcopal Church: Pentecost

--Here's an invitation you can accept on FB!!

The Holy Spirit is not a magical force we can conjure. We can’t keep it concentrated in a building. We can’t possibly limit its access to those who come to church or to those who are baptized. The Holy Spirit is already out there, wherever you go, everywhere in the world. Any time we say, “Come, Holy Spirit,” it’s ironic, because we’re beckoning Someone who cannot be beckoned, and who is always with us.

But if we didn’t beckon, would we notice? How often does a fish say, “Hey, I’m swimming in water!”? How often does a flame shout, “Aaaah! I’m on fire!”? How often do we stop whatever we’re doing, take a long, deep breath, and appreciate what it means to be alive?

If we did that all the time, people might well think we’d been drinking, even at nine in the morning. When people live life joyfully, wallowing in the Holy Spirit, amazing things start to happen. People reach out to others to give them what they need. The simplest actions can take on deep meaning and can break down barriers of language and social standing. The result is Resurrection on both a small and large scale.

Come join the movement this Sunday. Bring a friend, or four, or four thousand! Raise the roof! In the immortal words of gospel pop star Kirk Franklin, “We're havin' us a Holy Ghost party up in he-ah!”

Repeating:
Celebrating the
Feast of the Gift of the Holy Spirit
with Holy Eucharist and Holy Baptism
at St. Margaret's, 150 Elm Street-
corner of Keystone and Elm-
9 a.m. Sunday morning,
May 23, 2010

See Acts 2: 13-15
But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem,* Let this be known to you, and listen to what I say, Indeed, these are not drunk,** as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning."

* Editors' additions: 'and all who reside in the Lehigh Valley and beyond'
**Editors' gloss: Filled with wonder, love and praise, we will be tipsy with joy as we baptize Thomas Malcolm and enjoy a brunch following worship which will be lovingly preprepared by his family.

P.S. Wear Red--
the liturgical color of the day!!!

To All the Members and Friends of St. Margaret's Church

To: The Members of St. Margaret’s Church
150 Elm Street, Emmaus PA 18049
From: The Rev. Canon Lexa H. Shallcross
431 Elm Street, Emmaus PA 18049

Tuesday, April 27, 2010



Dear Friends in Christ,

In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, we read that “For everything there is a season, and a time...”. So into that mix of birth and death, planting and harvesting, breaking down and building up, I am announcing my retirement date of July 1, 2010. As I will be taking some accrued vacation time before that date during June, my last Sunday with all of you at St. Margaret’s Church will be June 6, 2010. The decision to retire at this time is based on personal, family and financial considerations.

I first came to Emmaus as St. Margaret’s new Rector in June of 1989. During that 21 years, we have shared many faith building experiences. I will always carry the memories of pageants and floods, building in Honduras and at home (new offices and a conference room), settling the Gaye Family from Liberia and welcoming new individuals and families to St. Margaret’s. It was my privilege to work with outstanding individuals like Margot Bradbury, Art Schelling, Gil Peterson, Ken Schaffner, Sally West and Joe Cardinale who served faithfully as Senior Wardens with me. I trust that Tim Merrill, our current Senior Warden, and the Vestry will help both all of you and me in this time of transition.

Through countless acts of pastoral care- marriages, burials, baptisms- and the faithful celebration of Holy Eucharist each Sunday, I have grown close to all of you. I do know that this transition will be difficult. So the immediate future will be a both time for weeping and mourning; as well as for laughing and dancing. My prayer is that the future holds new growth and vitality for St. Margaret’s Church.

Finally, let me say I am grateful for the opportunities for professional and personal development that the faith community of St. Margaret’s Church has provided me over the years.
You all took a chance on a newly ordained, not well experienced priest. and formed me. While I look forward to the opportunities retirement will bring me, I will also carry the people and mission of St. Margaret’s in my prayers.


Faithfully,
The Rev. Canon Lexa H. Shallcross