Mark's Midweek Musings & Updates

 

I want to acknowledge and say thank you for the bold decision on Sunday at vestry to fully embrace the ministry we feel called to for the children, young people and their families of our community. Vestry together made the decision that we need to do all we can to fund this out of our operating budget. That meant increasing the donations we are hoping to receive through envelopes, PAR and special gifts at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a leap of faith and an affirmation of the leadership's desire to broaden our ministry to a demographic that is forcibly absent in the membership of St. Paul's.

Over my years of ministry, I have learned that there is never 100% support for initiatives. However, I've also learned that that doesn't diminish the potential and opportunities that can be embraced. I appreciate the voices and concerns of those who are apprehensive of the bold move vestry took on Sunday. And I appreciate your ongoing support of St. Paul's even though you may not totally agree with the direction being taken forward. Your views and opinions matter and I appreciate your honesty in voicing them.

Something else I have learned over the years is that for me the gospel ministry we are called to is about taking risks, embracing uncertainty and trusting in what God is and will continue to do through our faithfulness. For me, the gospel, and thereby ministry, isn't about playing it safe, being cautious our believing that we need to hold on to provisions for the future so that we will have a future. 

Our church, the parish of St. Paul's that is so important to us is really God's church, not ours. And the ministry we do is God's ministry and not solely our own. So to be faithful for me means always being attentive to what the gospel calls us to do with the abundance we have been blessed with. I recall the parable that Jesus told of the master who left his servants in charge of his affairs trusting them to use them appropriately. Remember the one who buried it out of fear for what the master might do on his return. And in fact, he reprimanded the servant for not being faithful in using what he had been entrusted with.

I thank God that Jesus didn't play it safe in his life and ministry, that he didn't avoid risk and wan't cautious. And likewise, I thank God that those who built the early church didn't play it safe, but took risks including their very lives to be faithful in their calling and vocation. But it doesn't end there. I'm grateful for all those over the centuries who have build the church up into what it is today. That includes those who built this church 186 years ago. We have what we enjoy as our spiritual home because of the risks they took by not being cautious, but by embracing boldly the potential that lay before them.

And now, that potential lies before us. What will our legacy be? Will we be remembered for the risks we took to be faithful and to build up the ministry of St. Paul's? We've begun to move ahead boldly and to take a moderate risk. Let's be bold in the spirit of the gospel and in our discipleship as followers of Jesus.