He is risen, Alleluia!
Good morning, Church! It has been a beautiful Easter Season and it was a wonderful Holy Week! This year’s Holy Week and Easter activities saw amazing attendance and participation. One of the high points was the baptism of Lennox, niece of Julianne and Chris Zoller and Cousin to Ava and Norah. During this time, we saw an attendance of the services that was very different from last year. Last year, we opened our doors on Palm Sunday after observing COVID precautions for what seemed like an eternity. This year, our services were packed, and we welcomed many new families into our church. It was a beautiful and wonderous time.
We are also experiencing what our town is experiencing. We are experiencing a period of what many have thought would never happen in the church… growth. With this growth, comes a need for radical hospitality. This hospitality is what will keep new people who are searching for a church home. It is important for us all to remember that people might initially come to a new church for ritual, for traditions, for music, or preaching; but they stay because of a sense of belonging and family. There are things we hold dear that we might expect of our visitors or seekers, but hospitality trumps these expectations. After all, I remember a wise priest once told me that “If the Kingdom of Heaven had expectations like Episcopalians (are reputed to have) regarding liturgy and tradition, Heaven would be a very empty place.” So, please let us be nice, welcoming, and hospitable. Let us endeavor to be the Body of Christ and as welcoming as Christ was to all who sought him. We also should remember to open our hearts to those who are seeking the Body of Christ. Always remember that the words that we say to those who are new are not words that are from us individually, but words from the Church. If these are words that seekers will associate with our community, they will also associate them to the Body of Christ- which is the Church. In other words, our words and deeds matter, the future of the Church depends upon it.
I also want to acknowledge that this is a time when the church season also slows down. Folks will be vacationing, traveling, and visiting relatives, especially as restrictions ease. In fact, my son will be in town for only two weeks this summer, so I will plan to take a week of vacation beginning on May 22nd. So, per usual, you can contact Father Steve for any pastoral emergencies. I plan on returning to church on Sunday the 28th.
During the summer, Julianne, Christine, and I will be setting up storage areas in the Parish Hall and expanding the Sacristy in the Church Office, so stay tuned for volunteer opportunities.
May God bless you all and I pray that you take time to see the beauty all around you as our landscape explodes with the beauty of resurrection!
Good morning, Church! It has been a beautiful Easter Season and it was a wonderful Holy Week! This year’s Holy Week and Easter activities saw amazing attendance and participation. One of the high points was the baptism of Lennox, niece of Julianne and Chris Zoller and Cousin to Ava and Norah. During this time, we saw an attendance of the services that was very different from last year. Last year, we opened our doors on Palm Sunday after observing COVID precautions for what seemed like an eternity. This year, our services were packed, and we welcomed many new families into our church. It was a beautiful and wonderous time.
We are also experiencing what our town is experiencing. We are experiencing a period of what many have thought would never happen in the church… growth. With this growth, comes a need for radical hospitality. This hospitality is what will keep new people who are searching for a church home. It is important for us all to remember that people might initially come to a new church for ritual, for traditions, for music, or preaching; but they stay because of a sense of belonging and family. There are things we hold dear that we might expect of our visitors or seekers, but hospitality trumps these expectations. After all, I remember a wise priest once told me that “If the Kingdom of Heaven had expectations like Episcopalians (are reputed to have) regarding liturgy and tradition, Heaven would be a very empty place.” So, please let us be nice, welcoming, and hospitable. Let us endeavor to be the Body of Christ and as welcoming as Christ was to all who sought him. We also should remember to open our hearts to those who are seeking the Body of Christ. Always remember that the words that we say to those who are new are not words that are from us individually, but words from the Church. If these are words that seekers will associate with our community, they will also associate them to the Body of Christ- which is the Church. In other words, our words and deeds matter, the future of the Church depends upon it.
I also want to acknowledge that this is a time when the church season also slows down. Folks will be vacationing, traveling, and visiting relatives, especially as restrictions ease. In fact, my son will be in town for only two weeks this summer, so I will plan to take a week of vacation beginning on May 22nd. So, per usual, you can contact Father Steve for any pastoral emergencies. I plan on returning to church on Sunday the 28th.
During the summer, Julianne, Christine, and I will be setting up storage areas in the Parish Hall and expanding the Sacristy in the Church Office, so stay tuned for volunteer opportunities.
May God bless you all and I pray that you take time to see the beauty all around you as our landscape explodes with the beauty of resurrection!