St. Arbucks Chapel – January 22, 2025

This Sunday’s Class….Know your S.H.A.P.E – Do you know your SHAPE for ministry? Sunday, January 26th from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. This class will help you identify your spiritual gifts, heart (passion), abilities, personality, and experiences as a way of making a difference in our world. For either class, email Neal at nwhitlow@chwichita.org to enroll.

Confirmation Class – Spring, 2025

Because of our pilgrimage to Greece this summer, we are going to have Confirmation (for those grade 8 or older) earlier. Chris Tillison, our Director of Youth Discipleship, sent out a survey inviting your response to two options. If you did not get an email from Chris, please email him at ctillison@chwichita.org

Holy Land 2025 is canceled.  “Journeys of Paul in Greece,” is the replacement pilgrimage, Summer, 2025.

This 8 day pilgrimage would leave Wichita on June 21 and return on June 28 unless you elect to go on the optional 3 day (returning to Wichita on July 1) addition to the Greek Isle via ship.  For a brochure with information about the places we will visit and cost, please click here https://worldtravelbucketlist.com/mbg/journeys-of-paul-in-greece/

If you would prefer a paper brochure, they are available at the church office, Monday through Friday 8:30-4:30 or on Sunday morning at the Welcome Center. The deadline is February 1st.  Please do not hesitate to contact our guide, Dr. Mike Philson, at the following email: mike@worldtravelbucketlist.com if you have any questions about the pilgrimage.

As a bonus, during Lent, Fr. Terry will teach a class on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. on Paul’s missionary journeys from the Book of Acts. This will be excellent preparation for making the most of the pilgrimage. More information will be forthcoming.

For Your Inspiration

Maria Shriver is an American journalist, author, a member of the prominent Shriver and Kennedy families, former First Lady of California, and the founder of the nonprofit organization The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. Maria has a weekly newsletter to which I subscribe. Maria lives in the LA area and had to evacuate her home, which was not destroyed but sustained damage. Many of her close friends have lost their homes completely. Maria wrote this poem this past week.

I hope you will give yourself time to be still and to rest in your grief

I hope you give yourself time to reimagine your dreams

Go ahead

Tell them to the trees that once stood in your yard

Tell them to your home that now lives deep inside

Tell your children that all will be okay

Then remind yourself that one day in the not too distant future

you will once again feel a lightness in your being

You will sing and you will dance

You will tell stories to those not yet born how you survived and rebuilt

They will look at you with eyes wide and marvel at your strength

They will ask you how you did what you did

You will say you let go and that you then rose again to build the place of your dreams in the ashes of what was

Carry on my child

Dare to dream, to grieve, to let go, and rise again

That’s what angels do

They spread their wings and they fly again.

Maria, in addition to writing the poem, has the following suggestions for what to say to people who have experienced loss.

    • “It’s okay to be both heartbroken and grateful right now.”
    • “There is no right way to process it.”
    • “I can’t imagine how overwhelming this is for you right now.”
    • “I’m here to listen. Please share what you’ve been through, what you are feeling, if you’d like.”
    • “The fact that you are safe doesn’t mean your loss is less painful.”