On Sunday, February 19, at both the worship services and in the Adult Forum we will celebrate the presence of God working today to call people back to health and wholeness, not only within our parish but the entire community. On this Sunday we name and celebrate that movement of God we call “recovery.” When we hear of “recovery” we quickly think of alcohol and drug addiction. Recovery is really much larger. It is about reclaiming our heritage as children of God in the face of anything that takes power over us. It may be food, work, or the need for approval, for starters.

At both services Bill Ames will be the speaker, telling his story of recovery, his “good news story,” just as M.J. Woodburn did last year. The lessons and hymns will reflect the recovery theme. As we intentionally invite people from the larger community to join these services, we will use grape juice at Communion. This is an excellent time to invite a friend who might be interested to come to church with you.

At the Adult Forum at 9:00 a.m. we will ask a number of St. Michael’s people to speak about recovery and what it takes to pull it off. Again, we are talking about much more than alcohol and drugs.

So, join the St. Michael’s family as we celebrate the presence of the same God that created the universe at the beginning of time, and who is still creating new life by calling us all to recover and reclaim our heritage as daughters and sons of God.