What is God up to at St. Matthew’s? At the heart of our parish life beats this vital question. When we called our new rector in 2005, we expressed a desire to deepen our spiritual lives and to form more meaningful bonds with one another, and Rev. Blair Pogue embraced that challenge. Equipped with the rich traditions of our 119-year history and pulled forward by a new vision for our future, we set off on an exciting journey with God. Through prayerful discernment, by reading the Bible together and by reflecting theologically on our gifts, we are learning to ask what God is doing in our midst and how we can join more fully in God’s work.
A key step in rediscovering God’s purpose for St. Matthew’s was to engage in Appreciative Inquiry. As we met in small groups to share our stories, we listened for common threads to emerge. Our passion for sharing food in the fellowship hall revealed a larger pattern of caring for one another in times of crisis, feeding the hungry at Loaves & Fishes, and sharing in the sacred moment of the Eucharist. We recognized a deep commitment to hospitality, exemplified by our tutoring program, our hosting of homeless families through Project Home, and our support of the Blue House, a home for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
We recognized through our parish stories that variety and intergenerational connections are valued features of our life together, energizing our worship and enlivening our faith journey. Vibrant threads of creativity run through our worship and our formation efforts, incorporating visual art, music, drama, and Taizé elements. A powerful Lenten tradition began in 2006 when 14 St. Matthew’s artists created pieces representing the Stations of the Cross. Many threads came together this fall as children and adults worked together to produce a St. Francis play, led by a parish artist in creating beautiful animal masks, tying in with a year-long Caring for Creation initiative focused on our stewardship of the environment. The abundant diversity of talent in our community means that ideas are constantly bubbling up from the grassroots, and we are blessed with leaders who empower parishioners to follow the Spirit’s leading. One year ago, we would never have guessed that we would launch a bold new Youth & Intergenerational Ministry this fall, and that initiative is already beginning to bear fruit.
To bring sharper focus to our common life and guide us in faith formation, we have articulated a theological framework that describes our Trinitarian God and underpins all that we do. We call it the “3C’s”, for Communion, Compassion and Creativity. We join in God’s communion through worship, scripture reading, and faith discussions. We join in Christ’s compassion by becoming companions to people in need, breaking bread with those at the margins of society and extending the gifts of healing and reconciliation to the wider community. We join in the Spirit’s creativity by cultivating the gifts of God through spiritual discernment and stewardship. Through these three gifts – communion, compassion and creativity – God is opening us up and unleashing energy and imagination in our midst.
As we prepare to call our new bishop, our fervent hope is that our diocese will fully embody God’s vital presence in the world. We hope to see the “3C’s” at work throughout the diocese. We pray for communion among our congregations as we strengthen connections, learn from one another and re-build the diocese as a network. We pray for compassion as we remember our central mission to care for the poor and the forgotten and to work for reconciliation. We pray for creativity and openness to new energies as the Spirit leads us in unexpected directions. We give thanks for the abundant gifts of St. Matthew’s, remembering that God is always calling us outside our doors to be the light of Christ in a dark world.
Yours in Christ,
Terese Lewis, Senior Warden-Elect
