September 2024
Dear Friends,
As I write, we’ve completed our Summer series on the Sermon on the Mount and we’ve just begun our Fall series from 1st Timothy.
There are many ways one can summarize a whole book of the bible, but our take on 1st Timothy is that it speaks to a chaotic world of swirling doctrines, ‘facts’, and ideas, with one simple, consistent, and constant hope: Jesus.
It’s a great book for an age like ours, with such a volume of information for us to process each day and so many things competing for our attention and our time. But it’s a particularly appropriate book for this specific point in the year, as we enter the final weeks of the election cycle.
Part of the good news is that regardless of our place on the political spectrum, or how inundated we may be with ideas, amid the chaos of the day, Christ Jesus remains our only constant and unifying hope.
This Fall
Ironically, Fall is also a busy time at church. Many of our small groups are starting up again and this year, there are some new ones too. If you have not been to a Men’s Group, Women’s Group, Mother’s Group, Home Group, Bible Study, or Adult Forum, I strongly recommend it (check our website or app for more information on all of our groups.) Along with the Podcast, we have found that a dialogical (talk about it) along with a didactic (hear about it) approach is by far the best way to apply the word to our lives.
The Fall is also a great time to join one of our mission partners or service teams. The more we meet together, the more we grow in faith. As 1 Timothy 4 says “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching….practice these things, immerse yourself in them”.
In the late Fall we’ll also begin our budgeting for next year. Helpfully, 1st Timothy has a lot of encouraging things to say about how we are to use our resources for God and you’ll also be hearing some updates about the building development from the Vestry as well. The funds we’ve raised have been invested well, several people have given beyond what they pledged, we have received some new gifts, and a legacy gift too, so we are asking whether God might be calling us to seek enough to complete the whole thing instead of just one room. That remains to be seen, but as 1st Timothy 6 says “God richly provides us with everything to enjoy”.
Changes
Many of you know that Tami is in the ordination process to become a deacon in our church. The bible has many different words for church leaders. The Anglican way is not the only way, but it’s a reasonable model for how to administer a church. So, in our tradition, generally, deacons serve, visit, and assist the presbyters and overseeing bishops in their work.
Naturally this raises questions about the role of women in ministry. Like some of the other hot topics we’ve covered in recent months, we’ll be leading a special teaching on it in the Adult Forum and on the Podcast and you’ll never guess which book of the bible we’ll be drawing from the most!
On the subject of Deacons, Rev. Erik has been with us as a Deacon since the Summer. Between November and January, he will be placed in another church, and we’ll be joined by Rev. Jason, another deacon, who will be here to learn about liturgical seasons, church budgets, and annual meetings from the team here. We’ve also been joined by a seminarian Cory, who will be completing some of his field experience at Christ Church as well. Think of all these church placements for developing ministers as a compliment: it means the bishop thinks we’re not weird!
The Bishop has also asked us to return to serving wine from the common cup at Holy Communion. Although most people will still prefer to dip their bread in the cup, those who wish to drink from it directly will be able to. Once we’ve worked out a way to ensure that everyone feels comfortable with how we do it, you will see a small change to the instructions in the bulletin about that.
Finally, after a good run, we’ll also be saying goodbye to the lectern on the chancel steps. Many of you have asked why we have a giant eagle there and if it has something to do with the grocery store, or even the American flag. It is neither. In fact, the eagle is an important church symbol associated with evangelism and the gospel of John. It really is a very agreeable bird, but this was our largest ever Summer, and as our church fills up, many are simply unable to see past it. Until we have a larger more open space, with better sight lines, and a more traditional layout in the chancel, unless we can lift up the first five pews on wings like eagles, sadly we’ll have to see it fly away.
The puns might be bad, but at least the these are great problems to have.
Love in Christ,
Rev’d Alex
