Beloved,
Beloved, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you who dedicated your time and energy to enrich this year’s Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Your active participation in various ministries, programs, gatherings, and engaging discussions has genuinely made a difference in our faith community. I am deeply grateful for your dedication to fostering a community that extends beyond Sunday worship.
We find ourselves again in a time of transition, following Easter Sunday. According to the New Testament, Jesus met with his disciples several times during the 40 days after his resurrection to instruct them on how to carry out his teachings. It is believed that on the 40th day, he took them to the Mount of Olives, where they witnessed his ascension to heaven. Although the stores have quickly put away Easter decorations and moved on to the Derby, Memorial Day, and even the Fourth of July, I want us to pause and think of the disciples during this transition period. How did they manage to live out their faith after the day of resurrection, their separation from Jesus upon his ascension, and the welcoming of the Spirit of the Advocate on the day of Pentecost and beyond? I doubt that the disciples in ancient times forgot about His resurrection for the next big event just as easily as we do today. Instead, they lived with the reality of the risen Lord, which changed their lives forever. They learned how to be the church, the assembly of faithful ones, that sought ways to become One Body in Christ, that would go beyond worship.
The church is a peculiar organism where our emotions dictate whether to stay or leave, despite Jesus’s teaching of love. It is easy to limit the church to a house of worship that only fosters a personal relationship with God. However, Jesus calls us to be more than that. He charged us to develop a community that extends the love of God by lifting one another. Suppose we limit our focus to a personal relationship with God, rather than learning how to love one another. In that case, it’s no wonder we let our likes and dislikes guide us toward a more transactional relationship that only values earthly rewards. Jesus, our risen Lord, instructs us that we aim for heavenly rewards that are based on love, mercy, and compassion. To achieve it, we must trust God and let the Holy Spirit be our guide, not our personal preferences. The church should be a place where all of us can learn how to become One Body in Christ by lifting each other up. It is hard, ongoing work. I was deeply moved this year during Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, as I witnessed the community continually growing toward a faith-filled, courageous, and loving community.
On May 18th, we have a significant event —the Spring Parish Council. It is not just a meeting, but a platform where we can all come together to shape the future of our church. We will present the progress of the Lift Up Your Hearts project after the 10:30 service. Your vestry and I will solicit your input on creative ways to connect us to St. Paul’s of tomorrow through the installation of a new lift. Your ideas and suggestions are not just welcomed, but they are crucial to our collective journey. Be Bold, Trust in God, and Be Fearless; that is how we work with the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ disciples also began learning about it during the transition period between Easter and Pentecost. Let’s all come together and make this a fruitful and inspiring event.
Love in Christ,
Fr. Andrew