Dear sisters and brothers,
What a glorious time we had this past Sunday! We held our first in-person all-church meeting in almost two years. We celebrated Jesus’ lordship of love and the baptism of Aletheia Austin into the Body of Christ. We rejoiced in Nancy Nethercott’s ordination to the priesthood. All in one day!
We are also in a liminal place: an in-between space, on the threshold of something new, but unsure of the precise details of shape and scope. We are seeking to increase our budget by 30% to fund and grow our mission together in 2022. We need to find a new place to worship together in the coming months. All in the midst of a pandemic that just won’t quit.
I was reflecting with many of you on Sunday about how odd it feels to be in this liminal space. There is lots of uncertainty: how will God provide? Where will we worship? What will this mean for our community?
But at the same time, there is so much encouragement: many of you mentioned how glad you were to be part of our community, and I can feel our bonds with each other being strengthened through this. Our connection with each other is rooted in a deep and growing love for another, rather than mere convenience or affinity. I wrote a few years ago about how I longed for this kind of community, and am delighted that it seems to be happening.
There are still a lot of things to discern and do, but I cannot think of anyone I’d rather be doing this with. I am profoundly grateful for all of you, your work that comes from faith, your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.
Grace and peace,
Fr. Ben
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