November 15, 2019

Our property on the corner of Park Avenue and 60th Street was purchased in 1929 by the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church located one block west. They were inspired by plans to build a stunning sanctuary of exceptional beauty and usefulness. For 90 years it has been home to thousands of seekers-after-the-way-of-Jesus in the heart of the city in the heart of the world. I feel humbly thankful to have shared leadership with excellent colleagues, lay and clergy, for one-third of its existence.
 
By most useful measures we would agree that 90 years is a long time and it's a credit to those gutsy Madison Avenue congregants that they built an extremely well-crafted structure with an eye towards the generations that would follow. We're the beneficiaries of their sacrificial generosity and foresightedness. And in these rancorous days of cultural and political confusion, the message we bear has never seemed more relevant, more important.
 
But in all of these years, the sanctuary has never had a major restoration/renovation and after a multi-year planning process, the trustees have determined that 90-year-old wiring (among other concerns) must be addressed as a fiduciary responsibility in our generation. I couldn't agree more. Removing 90 years of grime, restoring 34 kinds of marble, re-imagining how the space can be lit and technologically reconceived for the 21st century provides an opportunity for launching Christ Church 2.0.
 
What a privilege to follow in the footsteps of our forebears in faith to situate the Christ Church faith community for the next 90 years! I am highly energized by this project and hopefully you will also catch the spirit, reigniting your faith in our God who is in the business of making all things new.
 
Here's the short-term implication: starting the first Sunday after Christmas our worship will move down to Phillips Hall for approximately 10 months as the sanctuary and chapel fills with scaffolding and other construction materials. On the one hand, this disrupts our familiar routines and requires a generous patience. On the other hand, it provides an opportunity for all of us to re-discover how our faith calls us into community with friends and neighbors, reminding us that faith is not located in a building per se, but in the hearts and minds of those who love God above all things and our neighbors as ourselves. Your presence and service will be needed like never before - greeting, receiving, ushering and generally offering Jesus' kingdom hospitality.
 
To share more about all of these matters, we're hosting the first of several Town Hall Meetings this Sunday (10a on the 4th floor, 12:30p in the sanctuary) which happens to coincide with our Commitment Sunday, the day we join hands and hearts in generously committing our support for the worship, projects, and ministries of Christ Church in the coming year. Oh my, we really need your presence!
 
What a gracious opportunity for strengthening our community as together we relaunch our mission for the 21st century. God has been so very good to us and now calls us into a deeper engagement for the sake of everything we value most of all.