Moving Forward Update #28

Dear Friends,
 
U2's Bono gave a talk at the Washington National Cathedral two days ago, and one phrase stuck out to me. He said, "It's more likely that church is not a place but a practice, and the practice becomes the place. There is no promised land. There is only the promised pilgrimage." As we have come to appreciate these last few months church is not a place but the practice of loving each other and gathering together in any space. As much as we love our space on Periwinkle Way, and yearn to return, we practice our faith in every space. Every time we extend the compassion and love of God to friend and stranger alike we are practicing the Way of Love that Jesus taught us. 
 
The work of the larger church also continues as we as gather in St. Petersburg for the delayed Diocesan Convention and the seating of our new Bishop Doug Scharf on Saturday. 
 
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: We now have a PO Box to send mail to. I encourage you to use this address, especially for important documents, stewardship pledge cards, donations to the Hurricane Relief Fund etc and general church correspondence. Mail will still get forwarded from the Periwinkle Way address, but this is a more reliable way to get mail to us. Thank you to Susan Gonzalez for letting us send mail to her home, but since we will be displaced for awhile it is good to have an official address for the mail. PLEASE SEND MAIL TO:
 
St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
15880 Summerlin Rd, Ste #300
PMB #420
Fort Myers, FL 33908

Since it will be a while before the Sanibel Post office resumes service, Sue and I have also obtained a box as well. Our personal address is now:
Bill and Sue Van Oss
15880 Summerlin Rd, Ste #300
PMB #473
Fort Myers, FL 33908
We hope to be returning to our home on Sanibel in the next two weeks. 
 
A reminder that tomorrow at 10am is the Blue Christmas Service at Peace. (Bible Study is at 8:30am) Our Blue Christmas service is a time when we can, together, acknowledge the "blue" feelings we have at Christmas time, the reasons for them, and offer them to God. 

In the afternoon we will have 4 check presentations totaling $50,000 at local agencies that are receiving a portion of the St. Michael's Hurricane Relief Fund. Thanks to the generosity of so many we will be supporting FISH, CHR, Gladiolus Food Pantry and Community Cooperative with substantial donations. 

Sanibel Resources:   
-FEMA will host a Town Hall meeting on Sanibel tomorrow at 6 p.m. at BIG ARTS and it will be on the city’s Facebook live page.
- The Causeway is opening to Non-Passholders on January 2, 2023. Curfew to remain 9pm-6am. Tolls will be collected. BUT Beaches and all beach parking will not be open at that date. 
-There was a large amount of information shared at the City Council meeting yesterday; too much to cover here. You can watch the recording on the City of Sanibel Facebook page, or several people post summaries, including Sanibel Susan (Susan Andrews). There was an extensive report on CHR property damage, FDOT update on the causeway, updates on sewer, water, LCEC, debris removal, natural resources and the building department. 

 
  Peace, 
Bill+