633 sligo avenue, silver spring, md 20910
633 sligo avenue, silver spring, md 20910
Rev. Susan G. Astarita
June 4, 2006
Dear Friends:
The blessings of this powerful feast be with you! I am grateful for your support during these past ten days as I visited with family in Maine and Bruce and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. The word on the street is that you all had a good experience with our supply priests, Kay Johnson, Barbara Ryder, and Carleton Hayden, my good clergy friends in Christ. In addition, it is a privilege to be able to count upon strong, energized lay leadership as I take vacation for reflection and renewal.
I am reminded of the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. As a modern writer describes it, there was no doubting the experience that the place literally sizzled! The disciples were rocked by the rush of a violent wind. Tongues of fire were the visible manifestation that sparks would soon fly.
Everyone got into the act. No longer was the Spirit choosing only a selected few as in the days of old -- a designated judge or an elected prophet or a specified king. OR dare I say, specific ordained person.
All of them, all of the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit! The entire congregation of Jesus people experienced the indwelling. And so it continues to be in this place, Ascension, Sligo.
May God continue our ministries and those of the newly baptized living into thousands of mini-Pentecosts in which we find divine power to change our lives and bear fruit of the new Creation.
Faithfully,
Mother Susan +