Each month, the Rector of All Saints` Memorial Church, the Rev. James R. Bocchino, writes an article that appears in our monthly newsletter, The Parish Messenger. We are now posting these monthly articles on this website.

Well, here I am, back from my sabbatical. For those whom I have not seen since my return, I enjoyed it very much. The retreats were eye-opening, the class was informative, and the simple time of rest was much needed and appreciated. There was, however, one added bonus that I had not anticipated.

I know that I have told many of you that Barbara and I attend church when we are in New York. It is a unique setup. Five separate congregations form one parish known as The Adirondack Mission. The priest in charge also has oversight of two additional parishes. I had the opportunity to attend mid-week celebrations of Holy Eucharist and Bible studies at several of these parishes. I also made it a point to attend every holy day service that was scheduled, most of which were followed by a pot-luck supper. I found this invigorating and energizing. It was such a pleasure to engage in theological discussion about the lessons for the coming week and to share my faith with so many brothers and sisters in Christ.

As most of you know, we have not been able to put together a Bible study here at All Saints' for many years now. Nor do we have mid-week services any longer. I had not realized just how much I missed both of these.

Worshiping God is not just a Sunday morning task. Worshiping God should be an act of thanksgiving that takes place every day of our lives. I know that people today are simply "scheduled out." The thought of adding one more thing or one more night out to their schedules is daunting. But I want to encourage you - no, I want to plead with you to consider taking some time each week and devoting it to Bible study and mid-week worship. I know it will be a benefit to you. I know that it will strengthen your faith. I know that it will help you to come to a new understanding of your relationship with God. Isn't that worth the time and effort?