The Call of Christ

Dear Friends,

What a joy it was this past weekend, to celebrate the Baptisms this past Sunday, and then to lift up the Evensong for All Souls together. It was a Resurrection Day to remember, bringing together those who have gone before us, as well as those who we hope might follow in the best of our footsteps: learning from our mistakes and also following Christ in doing new and wondrous things we might never have even imagined. This past Sunday was a day when our services took us one step closer to Christ’s call: a call described powerfully by Presiding Bishop Curry, to “change the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream that God intends.”

In this call, our reading from the second chapter of second Thessalonians encourages us to be steady, “holding fast to the traditions that you were taught”—by those who showed us the Way. As we approach Veteran’s Day weekend, I’m particularly thankful for those Veterans who were willing to journey through danger, for the sake of freedom—and who could remain steady, holding fast (however imperfectly) to the best of the traditions that they were taught. May we all be encouraged by their good hope, and strength of heart.

I’ll leave you with the closing prayer of the second letter to the Thessalonians:

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.”

Blessings,

John+