Rector’s Blog

Reflections and notes from the Rector of St. George’s, the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley Jr.

Notes from the Rector

Selected notes to the parish from the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., rector of St. George's Episcopal Church.

Note From the Rector, Dec. 10

December 10, 2015 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Greetings beloved St. Georgians,

By the third week in Advent, some of us are starting to tire of “seasonal” activities. There is a subtle invitation in our Advent wreaths to remember the need for a break, for some variety. The third candle we light on the wreath is rose-colored instead of blue or purple. The church has referred to the third Sunday in Advent as “Gaudete,” (meaning rejoice) because it was the first word in the old Latin mass for that day. Clergy sometimes wore rose-colored vestments as well. Advent has, in past times, been like a mini-Lent, a penitential season. The third Sunday was supposed to provide a break in the fast. We have moved away from Advent as a time of intense spiritual disciplines, but sometimes all the busy-ness and activities of the season can feel pretty intense in themselves. Ironically, too much feasting can feel as heavy as fasting after a while. Maybe a way to celebrate this mid-season break is to actually stop doing so much. Go for a walk. Take a conscious break from the junk food and the shopping and the holiday music. Let that pause be a time just for rejoicing, for reveling in the presence of God from whom all blessings flow.

Keep in mind the ways you can stop and slow down at St. George’s. Remember also the ways that, in addition to buying presents for others, you can give as a sign of thanksgiving to God. Year-end pledge payments and other financial offerings are a gift to your parish as we hope to end the year on solid financial footing. Memorial gifts are a way to stop and remember all those who are dear to us. Our Christmas offering this year, as always, will benefit particular outreach ministries. Thank you to everyone who contributed gifts which we will share with some families in need this season.

I rejoice on this third Sunday of Advent and each Sunday that God has called us to walk the inward and outward journey of faith together.

God’s peace,
Joe+

Note From the Rector, Dec. 3, 2015

December 4, 2015 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Greetings beloved St. Georgians,

I hope your Advent season is off to a good start. Remember the many offerings at St. George’s this season to help us slow down and find our spiritual foundation in a world that can often feel uprooted.

This Sunday we gather for the “annual parish meeting.” By canon law, parishioners are required to meet once per year for the purpose of electing new members to the vestry, the lay leadership board of the congregation. Other than that, there are no official requirements for this meeting. Many parishes use the occasion to share reports on the activities of the parish. It is a good thing to do, a chance to celebrate, share news, and give thanks. I wonder, though, if we might use this occasion to go even deeper as a community.

I have been reading a fascinating book, Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block. Essentially the book is about creating communities that move forward into a new future together, appreciating everyone’s gifts and caring for the whole. Although it is not “Christian,” it definitely connects with our concepts of living into God’s kingdom. Block suggests that a leader’s role is to convene and enable the community to do its work together in transformative ways. As your rector, I want to bring us together for this annual meeting in a way that knits us closer. We will have some reports, but I will invite us to focus on “inspiration” as well as “information.” I’ll have more to say during the sermon-time on Sunday and at the meeting at 10:00 in Sydnor Hall. For now, I ask you to pray with me over three questions (based somewhat on one of our texts for Sunday, Philippians 1:9):

How is the love of God flowing freely in and around our congregation?
How might we share in God’s love more abundantly?
What gifts do you/others bring that will help St. George’s as we respond to these questions together?

As you pray about whom God is calling to serve on our vestry, keep these questions in mind. Please join us on Sunday for this annual meeting. I am excited to call us together and to see where the Holy Spirit moves as we gather.

Your brother in Christ,

Joe+

P.S. Since this article was written, the news of shootings in San Bernadino, CA reminds us of the need to stand together in a world that is so often divided by violence. St. George’s, in partnership with our Muslim neighbors, is inviting the wider community to gather for a “prayer vigil for healing and unity” on Dec. 4, 2015, at 7 p.m. in the St. George’s nave. It will be a simple service, probably half an hour or so. The important thing is that we come together in this time of escalating tension as a witness to God’s redeeming and reconciling love.

I’m Lovin’ the Church

August 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment

By the Reverend Joe Hensley, Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church
Fredericksburg, VA

I recently shared a link on Facebook to a post by Greg Garrett on Patheos.com: “Why I am Still An Episcopalian.” I am so thankful for writers like him who eloquently and succinctly express some of the gifts of our tradition. It was one of those posts that seemed to resonate with a lot of people. Then a day later I got an email from a parishioner in response to my recent sermon (see post here). Her reasons for loving the church were also compelling, and I thought they needed to be shared more widely.

She wrote:

I thought about the “bread” and what it would mean to be willing to be consumed by others and for others. I also envisioned our church as a huge loaf of bread and many hands reaching up to take chunks off to eat. The loaf would never disappear but remain fresh and whole even as many were fed. As I reflected on your thoughts and what it means to be a Christian, I realized a few things. I love St. George’s and being Episcopalian. I love that a large part of what we do is have conversations about what it means to follow Christ and to love our neighbor. I love the fact that we discover the meaning by asking questions, not by memorizing answers. I think that part of our “welcoming” is an invitation to others to join the conversation, to add to the discussion, to discover for themselves what it means to live as a witness to the love of Christ.

I love that people love the church. Let’s keep sharing the love.