The month of July is always a special time of year. When we look around us we are reminded that we are truly in the full of summer. The sun is fuller, the days are longer, the trees are greener, and life is a bustle everywhere you turn. This is when we find ourselves longing to be outdoors and with friends and family the most.

Let there be no surprise that July to us is marked as the Feast of Union. Union of family and friends; Union of life in general, and Union of the Earth. July is known to be filled with weddings, celebrations, family reunions, fun picnics, and of course here in the United States, Independence Day.

We always encourage togetherness of family and friends, no matter the feast. July is one of those special months where no real pushing is needed. We as humans long to be among others when compelled by the Spirit to do so, and July has always been filled with that Spirit.

With that I say, back your bags with towels, swim wear, and good food. Then call all of your friends and family and have a day of Union with the full sun in the sky. Answer God's call to be with one another because you never know what tomorrow actually brings.

Please allow me to be the first to formally welcome you into The Holy Order of St. Raphael Interfaith. We are considered an Interdenominational network, meaning that we welcome all different religious backgrounds and beliefs as one. We believe the strict adage of there is only one God who is called by many names. When you stop and remove all the different names for God, and remove the religious structures of each church and denomination you will find that we all have the same message…Love.

At The Holy Order of St. Raphael Interfaith we ask all of you to follow two commandments that unite us all. The first one is “Honor your God”. It should be noted that we say your God and not our God. We want you to have a personal connection with your maker. This goes back to only one God with many names.

The second of two commandments that unites us all is, “love thy neighbor”. This sounds a lot easier then what it really is. At The Holy Order of St. Raphael Interfaith we have open communion to all. We believe that by loving your neighbor we are promoting a world that everyone would want to live in, not just the privileged. Several of our own are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, African American, Irish, German, Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Jewish, handicap, young, and old. This list could go on forever. If you stop and look at the second commandment you learn that when you discriminate against your neighbor, it will only come back to hurt you later.

With that said, we invite you and your family and friends with open arms. We are here to assist you in your spiritual needs. Our services are friendly to all people. Don't get dressed up on our account, just be you. Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, hats, piercings, tattoos, sweaters, dresses, we don't care what you are wearing as long as you are dressed. No one said that going to worship had to be difficult. Also, for all of our prayers you have a personal choice to either kneel, stand, or sit. We don't ask that you do anything else besides pray & worship. We look forward to seeing you soon!