Dear Church,
After two refreshing weeks of vacation, it was wonderful to lead you in the celebration of Eucharist this past Sunday. It is one of the deepest joys of my life.
Our Staff and Vestry continue to discern together how we can best organize and equip our church to be the Body of Christ for each other and our neighborhoods in this strange and challenging season.
Yesterday during Morning Prayer I was encouraged by the Scripture we read together (2 Corinthians 4), specifically verse 17, where the Apostle Paul is talking about how God is at work even in the midst of suffering and decay:
This slight and momentary trouble of ours is producing a weight of glory, passing and surpassing everything, lasting forever.
Yes, death and destruction are real, and we must face these realities head-on, but LIFE is also at work! Because of the resurrection of Jesus, death has already been defeated, and has, in the providence of God, been conscripted into the service of life!
So we can acknowledge the reality of suffering without losing hope, for while we continue to feel the grief of what we are losing in this pandemic (our normal “back to school” rituals at this time of year, for example), we know that a weighty glory is being produced through our tears.
Nothing is forgotten, nothing is wasted. God gathers up every minute of our human experience, and conscripts it all into the production of glory, an ultimate goodness for us who love him.
So let’s stay in this with God and each other. Let’s not give in to despair, or numbness. Let’s continue to pray and contend and discern together how best to gather and be the church for each other and our neighbors, because this slight and momentary trouble of ours is producing a weight of glory, passing and surpassing everything, lasting forever.
Grace and peace,
Fr. Ben
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