Greetings
Saturday, September 18th, the vestry met for a retreat and It was the first time we had gathered in person since March of 2020. It was a time of discussion, reflection, and laughter as we planned for 2021 and beyond. The retreat was lead by Mark Tomlinson, who took the vestry through a series of exercises designed to determine what is essential in the life of the parish. We learned that young people, music, and evangelism are top priorities. Now comes the task of doing the work that needs to be done. The four hours flew by, and we walked away feeling energized and enthusiastic about the future of the EEC.
Earlier in the day, I listened to an interview with The Archbishop of Canterbury. During the course of the interview, I learned the Church of England is also going through its own time of re-grouping and re-thinking for the future. Although the State sanctions the Church, England is like us, more secular than religious, and they too struggle to maintain buildings and energize their people. Archbishop Justin remarked that this was nothing new in the life of the Church. His advice for parishes and clergy was and is, "Do what you can, and let God do the rest." I admit these words were the most comforting I have heard in the last 18 months. I felt some stress leave my body, and I felt lighter listening to his advice. I commend it to you as well. I realized on Saturday, we are a team, and as humans, We can only do so much. But, there is much we can do. We can pray for our Church, one another and pray for ourselves. Spend time reflecting and contemplating what God is asking of us. Finally, spend time with the scriptures and learn from them.
To tell you all I love this place is an understatement. It has pained me deeply we cannot be together for coffee hour and parish events. In many ways, we have had to carry on not knowing what will come next. While it may seem like this pandemic will never end, there are glimmers of hope. Children are back in church; more people are getting vaccinated, and we have had many weddings in the past four months. It is easy to think like the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years who became more and more disenchanted with Moses and Aaron. But they made it to the Promised Land. I am confident we will as well.
Diane+
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