Letter From The Rector
A Time to Forget, A Call to Remember
Summer is intended to grant us time to forget the harsh winter, the sound of snowplows, the smell of salt, the grit of sand on your car, under your feet and inside the front or kitchen doorway. It is good to have time to relax, to forget the stress of work, commuting on the train, standing in the rain, sitting in rush hour traffic or waiting for the subway line that takes you home. I love summer-beach days, sunsets, long walks in sandals and sunglasses, picnics, lazy mornings - time just to take a deep breath. Summer allows us the luxury to forget.
Now that I have encouraged you to enjoy your summer and summer vacation, I am compelled to persuade you to also remember; to remember that when you are away, the work of our parish goes forward. Visitors will visit in search of a new church home. Guests will arrive in search of a place of spiritual renewal and refreshment. Our financial obligations will continue to march their way into the church‘s mail slot.
As we prepare for vacations, we wisely make adequate plans. We pay bills that will come due while we‘re away. We ask the neighbor to collect the newspaper or we call to have deliveries discontinued until our vacation ends. We set timers to switch our lights and program our entertainment centers and cable systems to record our favorite shows. We notify close friends and family members of vacation destinations in the event of an emergency. We make plans to take care of those things important to us.
Because you are reading this letter, I know that this particular parish is important to you. This community is committed to being here for you in your times of joy and in your hour of need, distress or desperation. Having said that, this community needs your commitment of time and resources, if it is to be of any benefit to you, when you need it most. This community needs you. This parish can be no greater and offer no more than the sum of its parts.
The way we spend our money reveals our priorities. The way we spend our money reveals the things we value. If the church is not worth the best we can offer, then I submit to you that we cheapen the grace offered to us in Christ. A decision to view the church as an entitlement adversely impacts the quality and character of our common life. Jesus said, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:38).
As I come to the conclusion of this letter, I want to encourage you to remember St. John‘s Church during your summer vacation. Needless to say, we are living through very challenging economic times and the church‘s weekly collection reflects that reality. In spite of these challenges, I hope and pray that you will keep St. John‘s as a high priority when reviewing your financial goals. Without your continued support, the ministries of our parish will suffer and our witness will be diminished. In Matthew‘s gospel, Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations....And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20). In order to fulfill this mission, we must keep the work of Christ at the center of our lives. In so doing, we bless the world and open the door to the many blessings God has in store for those who keep the faith.