"PAY ATTENTION" 1 ST SUNDAY IN ADVENT – B MARK 13:24-37 ST. ANDREW'S: 11-29-20 I discovered backpacking as a teenager. I also discovered that I could hike faster than my older trail companions. This came in handy when they needed people to go ahead to scout out springs or set up camp or go ahead of the group because we were running late to our pick up point. (Remember there were no cell phones back then). So I got pretty good, even with a heavy pack, at moving fast, following blazes, seeing what was in the distance. Then it happened. My back and my ankle were giving me trouble and I settled in with the group, hiking behind the eldest member of our group who organized most of our trips and hiked very much by the philosophy of slow and steady wins the race. I did not like her pace. But she rarely had to take breaks. And hiking at a different pace, albeit forced, with a different perspective, I noticed, along the same stretch of New Jersey headed toward Delaware
Dear Friends, Like many businesses, community organizations, and churches in Montgomery County, we have been carefully monitoring developments in the spreading of the COVID19. We have taken seriously recommendations from Governor Wolf, the CDC, some neighbors in the medical profession, and our brothers and sisters in Christ in other area Lutheran Churches. Over the past week, we learned that the Bishop of the Episcopal Church has ordered the closing of all local churches and Bishop Davenport of our Southeastern PA Synod has strongly recommended that we do the same (many SEPA churches already closed their doors this past weekend and some have remained closed throughout the pandemic). It has become clear to us that the situation with the virus is going to get worse before it gets better, especially as families travel and gather for Thanksgiving, as students come home for college, and as Christmas celebrations and observances take place. We do not want to put anyone at risk, especial