Greetings beloved St. Georgians,

This weekend marks the halfway point through Lent. The church, in its wisdom, has a tradition of the fourth Sunday in Lent being set aside as a “lighter” day, a break in the seasonal liturgical austerity. It is sometimes referred to as “Laetare Sunday,” “Mothering Sunday,” or “Refreshment Sunday.” In some churches, rose-colored vestments instead of purple are used. If music has been sparse, there may be some additional singing. It’s a nod to moderation, which is one of our Anglican values. I have not been chanting the Eucharist at 11:00 in Lent, but I look forward to offering it again this Sunday.

Even in so-called “penitential” times of the year, the church generally leans more toward grace and forgiveness. In the relatively short season of Lent (6 weeks…Easter is 7), we take a break mid-way. Sundays are still feast days (not part of the 40 days). If you have been fasting or adopting extra disciplines during this time, this is a good opportunity to stop and reflect on how these practices have been for you. If you haven’t been doing anything for Lent yet, maybe it’s a good time to start something for the second half. In all things, remember that God wants our hearts, not discipline for its own sake. God knows that enduring for the long haul means taking breaks every now and then.

It’s not too late, then, to consider joining for conversations about a rule of life on Monday evenings. We are talking about how to find the rhythm of life that is the right balance of prayer, work, play, and rest. It’s not too late to find ways to give of your time and resources so that others may have a break. “Live simply so that others may simply live,” someone once said. We’re halfway, and there’s still plenty more Lent, plenty more opportunity to turn toward God and seek a renewal of heart, mind, body, and soul.

Your fellow pilgrim on the journey,

Joe+

The new year is off and running. For many of us, it feels like it is running quickly! With an early Easter this year, the season of time between the Feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday is shorter in 2016, only five weeks. Lent will be here (February 10) before we know it. This season of “ordinary” time after Epiphany is a time when the Church focuses on the light of Christ made manifest in the world through his ministry among us. It is a time for us to focus on our mission together (thus we will offer an adult forum series entitled: “How in God’s Name Do We Live Together: On a Mission.”).

How are you a part of the mission of the Church? This season may be a time for those who have been waiting for an opportunity to get more involved at St. George’s to say, “I’m interested in…” (and if you’ve told someone and not gotten a response, tell them again!). It is not too late to join our Pilgrim’s Path classes which are a way to go deeper in our understanding of both the faith as well as the ministries of our church.

Apart from the formal “ministries” of the church, we live out our mission every day in acts of prayer, service, and giving. One thing I have tried to emphasize is that we are all part of the “pastoral care” of the parish. This was part of our prayer partner project and the neighbor to neighbor stewardship campaign in the fall. We are all called to care for each other in and out of seasons, so that we can continue “giving as one,” one Body in Christ. We have a “One Body Response Team” that is available to respond in times of need, but any of us can pick up the phone or send a message inquiring after the well-being of one of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Any of us can take the service bulletin home each week and pray for the people listed there. Any of us can perform small acts of kindness with great love.

May God use us as “missionaries” to fulfill our common purpose to “restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (Book of Common Prayer p.855)

Your brother in Christ,

Joe+

Greetings Beloved St. Georgians,

As the new calendar year approaches, it is a time when many people make (or talk about making) resolutions. It makes we wonder about our parish’s hopes and dreams for the coming year.

As I write, my news sources are flooded with reports coming out of Cleveland, Ohio. A grand jury has decided not to indict the officers who shot and killed an African-American boy, Tamir Rice, last year. If you are not familiar with this case, I encourage you learn more. My response to this news has been deep sadness and frustration. I am not in a position to pass judgment on these officers. We, as the church, though are in a position to bear witness to the suffering this case evokes and the fact that the world needs healing and reconciliation. When I hear the details of the Tamir Rice case, there are so many moments where someone could have said, “stop.” There are so many moments where people failed to see or hear each other, and it resulted in a child’s life lost and countless other lives damaged. This is, of course, one of many cases like this in recent times. Our nation is in the midst of a renewed, intense conversation about race, violence, and inequality. We know something is very wrong, but we cannot agree on what “it” is or how to respond.

This brings me back to New Year’s resolutions. We began the program year in September with the question/exclamation: “How in God’s name do we live together?!” As we begin a new calendar year, we can resolve to continue that conversation. We may or may not be in a position to right the wrongs in Cleveland or Chicago or the next place where situations like the Tamir Rice or Laquan McDonald cases may occur. We are in a position to do everything we can to create a compassionate community here in Fredericksburg. Living together, in God’s name, means knowing our neighbors, valuing each other’s gifts, and listening to each other’s stories. It means engaging in the patient work of being together without trying to fix each other. This will be the work of our upcoming Compassionate Community weekend with Natalie Finstad (February 5-7). This theme will connect with our exploration of Christian faith in the upcoming Pilgrim’s classes (maybe your New Year’s resolution is to be baptized, confirmed or received or just to renew learning about your faith). I know there will be many other ways that we will engage this resolution to live together in God’s name.

No matter how we respond personally to the news of a troubled world, I invite us all to respond as one body to the Good News that in Christ we are all called to freedom and new life. May 2016 be a year in which we come together to explore our calling in ways that make a difference. As always, please continue to pray for peace and wholeness in a fractured world, with God’s help.

Your brother in Christ,

Joe+