Setting Out

Photo: St. Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury

 West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field pines encroach. It is where you go when you get the letter saying: Flee, all is discovered. It is where you go when you are told that you are a bubble on the tide of empire. It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go.

This is how Jack Burden, the corrupted idealist in Robert Penn Warren’s All the Kings Men, described his predicament as he drove to California in an existential fever-dream with his life imploding around him. These lines were constantly on my mind last summer as I made my own journey West under much happier circumstances.

Setting out on a journey into an unknown future is complicated. There are things we hope to find up ahead, and things we hope to leave behind, and things we’re just not sure about. This is the tricky problem when we hear stories of call - and stories of sending like last Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew 9. We would like them to follow what we in modern society think of as the default path of time: an upward trajectory of success, the moving staircase of progress and human history. It's easy to think of answering God’s call to us in terms of a forward springing into action. And last Sunday’s Gospel might suggest this: “Go proclaim the Good News,” Jesus says, and they do it. “Don’t plan ahead, don’t pack a bag, just go!” It’s a story of a heroic level of faith and trust.

Our paths aren’t quite so straightforward, and indeed we don’t know what was going through the disciples’ heads when they heard Jesus’ words either. We know what they did in the end, but we don’t know if they had second thoughts they kept to themselves. We don’t know if they were wondering where they would find the courage to start.

If Jesus was sending me out on an unknown, perilous journey, I suspect I might have a reaction more like that of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the first Archbishop of Canterbury sent by Pope Gregory I in 595 AD on a mission to Britain. Daunted by the magnitude of the task and the fierce reputation of the Anglo-Saxons, Augustine and his companions turned around in Gaul and tried to return to Rome. The Pope urged them onward with letters of encouragement, and the eventual mission was a success.

Much more often that not, those who dare great things for God would not have dared much of anything without the support of their community, and without the gift of the Holy Spirit. With God’s help, we can step out on our own journeys of witness, knowing that God is with us each step of the way – and knowing that we aren’t alone.

Yours in Christ,
Kara+

Love One Another

Love One Another

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,

Summer is most definitely upon us. We have celebrated graduations, end-of-year gatherings, and a church picnic with fried chicken, hot dogs, and all the fixin's.

Next Tuesday, I will be departing for Michigan to fulfill my duties at St. John's Church in Harbor Springs. Mother Kara and Father Steve will guide the ship here, caring for our flock and leading the team. As we embark on this season of transition, I encourage us all to be more intentional about caring for one another.

Our church is large, and while many gather on Sundays, there are others who are unable to for various reasons. Let us set our hearts, minds, and souls toward hospitality, care, and outreach. People sometimes hesitate to reach out, fearing they will burden us or that we are too busy. Yet this is precisely how we live out our calling as the Body of Christ—loving and caring for one another as if we were caring for Christ Himself.

During the coming months, I ask everyone to be intentional about supporting and loving those around us. Please help our Trinity clergy and staff remain aware of the needs within our parish. Pastoral ministry is a team effort, and you are an integral part of ensuring that all people are cared for.

I give you a new commandment: to love one another as I have loved you. By this, all will know that you are my disciples. (John 13:34–35)

Let us proceed into this summer with faith, hope, and love. You will be in my heart and prayers continually. Though I will be away in Michigan, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Peace and Blessings,
Paul

P.S. As you know, Angela DiJoseph and Greg Geehern will both be ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons on June 20. Greg's parish in Bordentown collected a purse to support him with essential items for ministry. We would like to do the same for Angela. If you are willing to contribute to Trinity Church in honor of her ordination, the funds will assist Angela as she begins this ministry—with items such as clerical shirts, prayer books, and other necessities. You can contribute by sending a check to the Finance Office with “ordination gift” in the memo line, or give online here. Thank you for your generosity.