Love One Another

Beloved,

This has been a challenging season for many. Not only are we grappling with an unexpected virus but we’re facing one of the most divisive political elections in recent memory. To many Americans, regardless of political persuasion, it feels like the very heart of our democracy is at stake.

In times like these it is easy to give into cynicism and despair. It is easy to lose hope for the coming of God’s Kingdom in our world. And yet, these are the precise moments that end up being the precipice for God’s showing up, in unexpected ways, in unexpected places.

The movement of the Holy Spirit is unpredictable. As Jesus says in John’s Gospel, the Spirit “blows where it wills” (John 3:8). There is often no rhyme or reason for how God shows up, at least from our perspective. It can seem random.

Yet I have seen the Spirit reveal itself consistently over the past few months. The way you all have dug in deep together, transitioned into new ways of being in community, and have continued to put your faith into practice has astounded me. I am continually encouraged by your faithfulness, not only to God, but to each other in this new season of being the Church.

If there is anything I think our world yearns for right now, it’s a community of people who come together across boundary lines to embody a different way of being human. This way isn’t rooted in division or violence but is rooted in radical love and self-offering. That’s the spirit I’ve been experiencing in our community, and I’m honestly humbled by it.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you, and also to encourage you to continue living into our practice of being in community together. The next couple of months are going to be challenging, for many reasons. It’s important that we continue to love one another, continue to care for each other, and continue to bear witness to God’s Kingdom in thought, word, and deed.

For me, what this is means is that I have to continually seek Christ in all things, honoring that of God within others and God within myself. That’s our baptismal call and its one which anchors us in seasons like these. 

I am so grateful for each and every one of you, and am so glad that we are on this journey together. You give me hope, when it sometimes feels like hope is in short supply.

I want to lift up the following words for us as we continue to live into who we’re called to be. These words came during a particularly challenging time in Jesus life, when he and his community were on the precipice of significant change. These have often been called Jesus’ “final instructions” to his disciples, since they came relatively close to the end of his earthly ministry. 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” – John 15:12-17 NRSV.

Friends, let us continue to love one another as we bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Will

Hope and the Holy Spirit

Written by Erich Balling, Canon Musician

Pentecost is one of the most miraculous stories in scripture. Imagine being a follower of Jesus and receiving the gift of language to teach and preach the gospel. And consider the incredibly dramatic way the story unfolded!

In staff meeting today, we took an inventory of the work we've accomplished thus far during the pandemic. We looked at the beginning of pandemic, decisions we made, pivots to a new way of life and work. Some of these seemed to happen in a moment, others took time to root and grow. As the discussion continued, it became overwhelmingly evident that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit was in the middle of all our work. I think the key to that realization was our united belief in the hope God gave us to begin. One small spark to say "yes" instead of "I can't" gave each of us the confidence we needed to move forward and to persevere.

I have a friend who reminds me that hope is essential to our faith journeys. I believe that God knows the deepest hopes of our hearts. God helps clear the fog of our doubts and enables us to show the Gospel in a world that needs this message of hope.

May God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to do the work we are given. May we always remain hopeful and confident in the Love of God. And may we continue to build God's kingdom on earth.

Hope

Written by Kathleen Balling, Music Assistant

Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love...
Love is the greatest of these, but in these unprecedented times, I think Hope is what people are looking for and need.

If you didn't watch the 10 am service on Sunday October 11, you missed our youngest singers, the Cathedral Imps! These young singers, ages 4-8, offer a glimpse of hope for the future in their faces and voices. Since March, Imps have met weekly via Zoom.

Speaking from a personal standpoint, seeing their bright faces early Saturday morning made my week. They love to sing, tell me their stories, greet each other and just show the pure joy of the open hearted children they are.

They are resilient, they are funny, they look forward to the next thing, whatever it is!  We all need that childhood simplicity and child-like hope that tomorrow will be better than today. We need to let our adult worries go and give them to God. We need to relearn to be expectant in the hope for tomorrow and trust in God. Take the time to look with in yourself and find that hopeful, expectant child. Look for the joy in simple things: a bird singing, a rainbow, fall colors of the leaves, or ....pure children's voices raised in song.

Hope is the light within us. Keep it burning bright. I witness Hope every time the Imps sing. Here is the link for the Imps Introit "Feed my Lambs."

https://youtu.be/MIIHDae3zFc