Posted by Marvin on May 27, 2010 under Uncategorized
I am most likely among the majority of the population for whom it is impossible to remember the events that led up to Memorial Day. I was born in 1948 and have only read and heard stories about WWII and all of the victories and defeats during that era.
But I can tell you that I have benefited greatly from the heroes of WWII and I enjoy the freedoms that come from the blood they have shed for us.
As you go forth and enjoy the long weekend, don’t forget that your freedoms are made possible by the sacrifices that have been offered by those who have been before us. It is similar to the sacrifice that Christ made for us more than 2000 years ago. Without that sacrifice we would be without hope for the future. Without that sacrifice what we do today would simply be good deeds. We are indeed children of the cross, enjoying the freedom that Christ has given to us. Praise be to God.
MG
Posted by Marvin on May 26, 2010 under Uncategorized
Friends,
Yesterday I found myself in New Orleans for several meetings. At the end of the day I was at the Bayou Blue church in Gray where I had the opportunity to dine with a group of disaster recovery volunteers from the Presbyterian Church of Canada. They were in reality from all over Canada. While there I also had the opportunity to hear from a small group of wonderful folk who worked with the Exxon Valdez disaster 20 years ago. These Alaskan folk were invited to Louisiana to share their experiences with a wide variety of groups of people with interest in the most recent oil disaster. I must admit that it was daunting to hear the story from Alaska and to know that 20 years later oil continues to find its way to the shore and not all of the fishing has returned to normal.
In response to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico the Presbytery of South Louisiana has requested and received a small amount of funding from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which is a part of the One Great Hour of Sharing. None of the funds have been expended to this point, but I believe they will be helpful as we discern the ways we might be helpful to the people who are affected by this disaster.
I will also call you all to prayer for inhabitants of the coastline, be it plants, fish, wildlife, humans. All are in danger of losing their homes and their livelihood and perhaps even their lives.
I’ll look forward to hearing from those who are affected most by this disaster. Please feel free to post your thoughts and feelings to this blog.
Shalom,
Marvin L. Groote, Interim General Presbyter
Posted by Allie on May 24, 2010 under Uncategorized
Friends,
This is my first foray into the blogging world. I hope that you all will join me as we navigate this interesting world of blogging. My covenant with you is that I will make every attempt to respond to your questions and I will try to keep you posted on what is happening in the Presbytery of South Louisiana. Thanks for being a part of this journey.
