There is an emerging semblance of normality as members make their way back to church. It has been a true tonic to see people’s smiling faces, share a wave from afar or engage in a bit of banter. It has also been brilliant to welcome people in person back into the sanctuary and onto the back lawn for worship. As the weeks and months go by, there will be many more opportunities for all of us to gather and engage with parish life in ways that are as old as the hills, and somewhat new at the same time.
For example, this Saturday, we are holding a one-off, pop-up outdoor sale in the church parking lot that is bound to be as welcoming and fun as any indoor sale has ever been. This Sunday, church school will be held on the rectory porch and promises to be a lovely gathering for teachers and children as the mysteries of faith are revealed through Godly Play lessons set for the Easter season. Later on Sunday, Fran and I very much look forward to hosting a Connected Parenting dinner, the first one in over a year. These are all small but significant signs that the Holy Spirit moves in our midst, in a way that feels markedly different than just one month ago.
Perhaps you, too, have a sense that the Holy Spirit is stirring you to come back to church. All I can say is, please do, in a way that is right for you. What I can promise you is a very warm welcome and all the obvious and intangible benefits of seeing old friends, in what feels like a very long time.
Onward in hope,
Gareth
This past Sunday in my sermon I leaned heavily on the wisdom of Anne Lamott as I explored the nature of mercy as it relates to the practices we immerse ourselves in during Holy Week. Here’s her definition of what mercy looks like: “Mercy is radical kindness. Mercy means offering or being offered aid in desperate […]
Back in the 50’s and 60’s, it was thought that 500-year-old church divisions could be healed if churches reached across denominational lines and got to know each other. This was an exciting time for the churches in Irvington, as all the fundamental theological issues between the Protestant, Catholic, and Anglican Churches were on the way […]
In my message last week, I wrote of an emerging sense of optimism shared by our church leadership that church life can once again take on the semblance of normality. This past week, Bishop Dietsche shared his own sense of optimism in a letter entitled, “Return of the Common Cup.” He wrote, “…with the waning […]