Last Sunday we heard a wonderful story from Mother Carola about young men dancing joyfully to the altar carrying baskets of offerings. I love that image because it captures the experience of so many of us as we support our church. I was giving a parishioner a ride home after the service and he told me that he can’t dance, but he loves giving his pledge to the church. There is something very special about being a part of something bigger than ourselves, something sacred that is devoted to life, love, generosity, and faith.
This weekend, our elected delegates, clergy, and I will attend the annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Olympia. Convention has the expected presentations and voting, awards and announcements, but the highlight for me each year is the Convention Eucharist. We gather with people from every congregation in the diocese, we sing and pray, we share in the bread and wine, and we are the Body of Christ, joyfully, powerfully, together as one.
This Sunday we will gather around the altar at St. Dunstan’s Church to make our common pledge to support this congregation in 2020. We may not have the pizzazz of the young men in Mother Carola’s story, but we share their enthusiasm and joy. We are a part of what God is doing in the world as a congregation and as a diocese and as the Episcopal Church. We are St. Dunstan’s Church, the Church that Feeds People!
Yours in Christ,
This image is from St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco.