May 18

This Sunday we'll be celebrating Pentecost, when Christians remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early church. The story of Pentecost is in the Book of Acts in the New Testament. We can better understand Pentecost by looking at a story in the Hebrew Scriptures way back in the Book of Genesis. Both stories have a lot to say about the future of the Christian church and about the future of the world. I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts about it with you on Sunday

(The liturgical color for Pentecost is red, so if you are able, wear something red to church.)

We'll be hosting a New Member Class after church this Sunday and next — lunch is provided. If you are looking for a church home, we would love to have you be part of the Asbury-Wesley Oak Faith Community. If you would like to participate, contact me or Candace Jenkins so we can know how much food to prepare. You can email me at bghester3@comcast.net or you can email Candace at cjenkins@asburymemorial.org.

I am so glad that we are hosting (for the first time) a concert by the choral group, I Cantori. Many of our church members have sung in I Cantori since its origin in 1991. Our choir director, Ray Ellis, and administrator, Randy Canady, have been a part of the group since the group's inception.

The title of Sunday's concert is: Baseball, Birds, & Boats. Tickets are $20.

I want to thank all of you who participated with JUST (Justice Unites Savannah Together) this year. I hope you will join us in celebrating this work and join us in getting to know other people involved with JUST. The season ending celebration is this Monday at 7:00 pm and will be hosted by Congregation Mickve Israel, 20 East Gordon Street. We again want to thank Rev. Claire Marich for stepping in at a critical time and doing a fabulous job as interim director of JUST. 

Rarely is there a day that I don't think about our great matriarch of Asbury, Virginia Holliday, who died last July at the age of 99. Her footprints and handprints are everywhere at Asbury. I wouldn't normally mention an Estate Sale in my weekly email. But there may be some of you who would really like to have something of Virginia's — something to help you remember her and feel her love and presence with you. There is going to be an Estate Sale at her house on Friday, the 24th, and Saturday, the 25th. The address is 1217 East 33rd Street. I heard there will also be access to her house on 34th Street since her backyard is so large and goes all the way to 34th Street. It will be from 9 AM to 1 PM on both days.

When you go, picture the little sparkplug raking her front yard at 5:00 a.m. every morning — leaving rake marks in the dirt. That was the beginning of her day. The rest of the day was usually spent doing something for the church. How appropriate that Virginia's Estate Sale will be right after Pentecost Sunday which celebrates the birth of the church! 

Hope to see you at the celebration this Sunday as we give thanks for Asbury Memorial and Wesley Oak — both places of worship have been blessing people and impacting lives for over 115 years. This hurting world needs us now more than ever. Thank you for being part of the church's past, present, and future!

Love and Blessings to all!
Billy