25 July 2009
Visioning at St. Mark’s
Posted by jmelnyk under: Uncategorized .
While taking a couple of days off following my CREDO conference I spent an evening in Ft. Bragg, CA. This stand of trees caught my attention throughout the day – but especially as the sun set alongside them. Bowed by the constant breeze off the pacific, the copse of trees had a character about them that spoke to me of both strength and compromise. Their shape showed a willingness to work with the elements while still reaching toward the heavens and providing homes to many creatures who live among their branches and the surrounding ecosystem.
St. Mark’s stands as a witness to the wonder and love of God in Christ Jesus in spite of strong economic breezes that bend our branches and test our resolve. We stand as a witness to the inclusive love of God in Christ from sunrise to sunset, despite a Bible-belt culture that often speaks of exclusion and judgment.
In the coming months we will seek to re-vision God’s call to St. Mark’s. How are we called to be the light of Christ in greater Raleigh? How will we live out our Baptismal Calling to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves? How will we respect the dignity of every human being, working for justice and peace in a world experiencing the turmoil of war, economic downturns, and fear of other cultures and faiths? How will we continue the good work of this past General Convention – proclaiming Good News for all people, and understanding that mission undergirds all we do as the people of God at St. Mark’s?
The challenge is for all of us to participate in this fall’s visioning process at St. Mark’s. The only way we will get to where God is leading us is if we travel the path together as a community of faith. God bless you, God love you, and God give us all the vision and the strength to keep on keeping on! Blessings and peace, Jim+
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