Overflowing Goodness

Dear Parish Family,

We find ourselves at the culmination of the church’s year: Christ King of the Universe. We find ourselves at the cross (Luke 23:35ff), beholding Christ the King of the Jews. A stark reminder for us that not all kingdoms are what we imagine or will unfold as we might expect. The Kingdom of God is both here and not here. Consider the mustard seed. As members of the Body of Christ, belonging to our Lord and King, we play a part in the unfolding of the kingdom. Jesus entrusts us to continue the mission that he originally handed on to that first group of followers. We belong to a long line living through time who seek to advance the Kingdom. “Now is our time to be church!” as Bishop Smith used to say.

As we gaze up at Jesus from the foot of the cross, imagine yourself as Mother Mary, or Mary of Magdala or the apostle John, all faithful witnesses who stayed close to the Lord in his agony. We overhear a striking conversation between Jesus and the men who hang on either side. One jeers and demands while the other confesses and pleads. In this moment, the goodness and mercy of the Lord overflows as he promises paradise even to one who is guilty. Repentance brings mercy. The mercy of God is rich beyond measure, one drop of blood able to remove a lifetime of sins.

For me, one of the great questions is: “How do we make a return to the Lord for all of his goodness to us?” The psalmist asks (Ps 116). While we cannot return God’s goodness in kind or measure, we can do our part to live with deep gratitude and seek every opportunity to share our love and goodness, as God’s goodness has been shared with us. In other words, our gifts will never measure up, but we can still strive to imitate the one who in his goodness gave his life for us.

We possess many ways of imitating or “making a return.” During this stewardship season, we have been celebrating the many ways we are together fulfilling our parish mission, how we are building together - being church - in our little corner of the world. As stewards of God’s gifts, we often speak of time, talent, and treasure. Being church definitely requires our time and our talents and our treasure.

During this stewardship season, it has been our custom over the past few years to invite you to make a financial commitment to our parish for the coming year. We invite you to give in your place of worship as an act of worship, to really pray over your finances and plan your gift for the coming year. Amid rising costs, it may be a challenge to commit to an amount without knowing what the future holds, but we trust in God’s providence, in his goodness to us, and so in faith and with hope, you can commit to a gift.

Your pledges help us with budgeting and they help you to prayerfully consider and prioritize your giving. How you give of your treasure, as well as your talents, and time make our parish what it is. If you have made a pledge in the past or if this is your first time, we welcome your participation. Reflect on God’s goodness in your life and how you plan to make a return.

In gratitude for you,

Fr. Wilson