Friends,
The gospel for this Sunday is about Jesus accepting an invitation to the home of Martha and Mary. Mary enjoys the company of Jesus as she listens to his every word while Martha becomes frustrated doing all the work in the kitchen. She challenges Jesus to admonish Mary for not helping when he provides the following observation, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing and Mary has chosen the better part.”
We live in a world of distractions many of which we fall prey to as they rob us of our time, attention and energy. This is some of what I hope to talk about Sunday morning in the 8:30 and 10:30 worship services.
In recognition that we are a church family and caring for one another is important to the integrity of who we as a Christian community of faith,
A Witness to the Resurrection and Celebration of Life will be conducted Wednesday, July 20, 10:00 am, at the Beaufort National Cemetery, in loving memory of Tom Gasparini, husband of Barbara Thomas and father of John Gasparini. Tom was a Navy veteran, a very successful attorney-at-law, and long-time member of Sea Island. May the Lord bless and keep Barbara and John in this time of loss.
We continue to extend our friendship and Christian sympathy to Jim Hawkins whose wife Harriet entered the Church Triumphant on July 4, 2022. Family and friends gathered on the Sea Island church campus last Saturday morning as we thanked God for the precious life of our friend Harriet and affirmed our faith in the Christian hope of the resurrection.
David LaBonte, Jr., Major, United States Marine Corps, husband of Andrea and father of Bryan, Kyla, and Eva, son-in-law of Steve and Addie Lee, honorably retired from 28 years of active duty in a ceremony conducted earlier today at MCRD. Parris Island. Having served in the field in places like Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan in addition to Bern, Switzerland and Okinawa, Japan, may this new chapter in David’s life and that of his family be filled with peace and joy. May the Lord bless our Marines, both active duty and retired. Semper Fidelis!
Rick Stearn, Colonel, USMC, Retired and former Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, exchanged wedding vows with his fiance Janet Jacobs late this afternoon in our sanctuary. As the apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Corinth, of all the blessings God has granted the human condition, those of faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love.
With two Rotary Clubs meeting weekly on our church campus and another one on the way in August, the Lion’s Club of Beaufort is sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast tomorrow morning, Saturday, July 16, beginning at 9:00 am in our Fellowship Hall. This is a fundraiser to support the many projects sponsored by the Lion’s Club in greater Beaufort and surrounding area.
It may be the month of July and the weather hot and humid, but life is not slow at the Sea Island Presbyterian Church as we seek to love God, love others, and reach out. We are reminded on a daily basis that there are a number of ways to do that as we also host weekly AA meetings, a local scout troop, the Low Country Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and the Safe Haven After School Tutoring Ministry starting again with the new school year. In Christ, life is full and rich!
May the peace of Christ be with you as we pray for family, friends, and neighbors; community, church and world; and the healing and hope for all. +
