Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Giving Thanks in All Things


            Last Thursday, I met with members of the Daughters of the King. In that meeting, we talked about the importance of prayer at this juncture in the life of St. Paul's. In their fifteenth year, the St. Catherine of Siena Chapter of the Daughters of the King plan to re-commit themselves in prayer and service to this parish at the September 10thHealing Eucharist (6 p.m. in the Chapel).
            At this service, the Daughters will pray for those on the prayer list, they will pray for the parish and for the community, and they will pray for the current and future leadership at St. Paul's. This is a service that you are always invited to attend (2nd Mondays at 6 p.m.) where you may offer healing prayers for the parish and community. It is my hope and prayer for this Healing Eucharistic to become a source of light and life for St. Paul's during this time of transition.
As I reflect through my own prayers, I am filled with gratitude for time spent at St. Paul's. When I look back on what I hope is a long and fruitful ministry in the church, I will undoubtedly conclude that our four years at St. Paul's Selma were some of the most rewarding and memorable. St. Paul's is truly a light shining in the darkness and to be a part of that light in this community was an incredible honor and privilege. I will always be proud to say, "I served as the Rector of St. Paul's in Selma."
            In my prayers, I am also aware of the failures and disappointments. I am aware of the things left undone. I am aware that I have let some of you down. I am aware that there are some things I could have spent more time paying attention to. However, I choose not to let these failures and disappointments lead me to despair.
            Using the General Thanksgiving on page 836 in the prayer book, I give thanks "for those disappointments and failures that lead [me] to acknowledge [my] dependence on [God] alone." As Henri Nouwen once wrote, we cannot be truly grateful unless we give thanks to God for all things - even the bad things. For in the fullness of time, God brings all things to their perfection in Jesus Christ. In other words, let's get on with living life to its fullest and trust that God is sorting it all out through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Finally, I was filled with gratitude when I met with the Vestry for the final time. In many ways, it was like a regular Vestry meeting. We prayed for the church. We talked about upcoming events in the life of the parish. We made decisions on behalf of the congregation. We approved the audit report and reviewed the budget. The only thing we didn't talk about were the light bulbs! It was almost like business as usual.
Most of the ministries and programs we offer to parish and community will go on like they always have. There will be opportunities for the laity to become even more involved in leadership. Some of what we have done together will cease to continue but the work of the church will go on. God will continue to use St. Paul's as a beacon of light to the people of Selma like God has for the past 180 years.
During this time of transition, pray without ceasing. May God open your eyes to see how you are being called to be that light in the darkness. May your time in prayer help you re-focus and re-commit to the work God is calling St. Paul's to be a part of in this community. May the grace of Christ in God help you see failure and disappointment as the building blocks of faith. And may you continue to grow in Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may you give thanks to him in all things.


No comments:

Post a Comment