Last week I had the honor of joining Rev. Cassandra and Malachi Burton, and Joanne and Don Appold at The Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul for the 116th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Delegates and other attendees were treated to an address from our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane. His address connected faith, which he described as that which sustains us when we cannot know something, to our mission which is to create a more hopeful and just world.
Creating a more hopeful and just world requires taking risks. Taking risk requires faith. Rev. Chane reminded us that being a christian in the 21st century is a risky business. We do not operate with the the rock solid assurance that we once did. The needs of our parishioners are many and in some cases unprecedented. We must be flexible and creative if we are to meet those needs and be relevant.
This speech inspired me to ask if we, at Christ Church Clinton, are taking enough and the right risks. This past year we've seen promising growth in the numbers of people who attend church each Sunday. Also, under Rev. Cassandra's leadership, we've expanded our thrift shop, enabling people with modest means to acquire clothing and other items they need, for less than they would have to spend if they went to a commercial establishment. We've also given tons of food through our food pantry to individuals and families without the means to feed themselves. This is great work but the world is not yet a just one so we must look for additional ways accomplish that mission.
I started this blog, thanks to Don Appold's technical support, to highlight our accomplishments and open a public dialogue about our church, work and worship. It's new for us to do this and I realize a number of our members do not have access or interest in this medium. I hope to encourage you to take a small risk and follow and comment on these postings. Also encourage your friends and family members to do so. Join our Christ Church facebook fan page by clicking here. I believe that if we grow as a church it will be because we take our work to the world rather than wait for the world to come to us.
Art Taylor
Senior Warden
Mr. Taylor, I just asked myself the same question am I doing enough to reach out. Through prayer the Holy Spirit took me to scripture and reminded me that our first mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to first heal the spirit and then what we are reaching out to give the brokenhearted can be received with a different mindset. I know this might sound crazy, but I believe what the world need now is love sweet love, think about it God commanded us to love because He is love and when we can give that I believe we will come together as one give the tangible things and reach our goal of helping those in need. I believe it is time for the church to come together we can impact our world, I am not talking about religions coming together, I am talking about the church, we are not divided by religions but one in the body of Christ.
ReplyDeleteDebra, I appreciate your comment. You are so right when you say we must first heal the spirit and then what we give can be received with a new mindset. I will remember that and use it, as we all should, when we talk to those broken by circumstances. Love is the answer!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting our 6th and 7th grade religious education class from the Arlington Virginia Unitarian Universalist Church. We all had a great time. Our visit to the Episcopal Church was fun. It was neat to see the similarities and differences between our church (Unitarian Universalist) and yours. The adults and children in your church were very nice to us and went out of your way to make us feel welcome: you toured us around your facility, fed us (the cheesecake and popcorn were good!), explained your religion to us and shook our hands and introduced yourselves and were so welcoming.
ReplyDeleteSome comments from the 11:15 6th & 7th grade class included:
“It was fun, the cheesecake was awesome!”
“The service was really interesting because it was different from the services that we have”
“They were very generous and nice to us”
“They had a lot of land that was really cool”
“It was creepy to walk by their cemetery”
“They were very respectful and included everyone”
“I liked their singing because they were good at it”
“Your thrift shop is a good idea because it helps your church and community with fundraising”
“The choir is good because they sing with heart and harmony”
“The church was smaller than our church and had beautiful stain glass windows”
Thank you again for opening our hearts and your church to us. We all learned alot and so greatly appreciated your time.
Sincerely,
the 6th and 7th grade 11:15 Religious Ed Learners at the Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church