Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for Easter 2
We are Easter people!
As people alive in Christ we hold fast to the promise of the resurrection, to new life.
And how do we live that out?
It can take a life time to be confident in the promises of the empty tomb.
It also takes the relationship with others to see the world through the eyes of new birth. So, for a start, on the micro scale, as we honor our baptismal promises we grow in the confidence of the walking in the light of Christ. The five promises help us to grow toward the light of the resurrection.
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin,
repent and return to the Lord?
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in
Christ?
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor
as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect
the dignity of every human being?
As Easter people we are reconciled to God and when reconciled to God we are compelled to be reconciled one to another. Not just waiting to see what happens next. Instead moving with confidence as we engage in acts of kindness and generosity. We meet challenges head-on because those rules of life compel us to live as reconciled people.
It’s going to mean change in the parish. It’s already meant change, has it not?
Right now, this means who leads ministry and how.
We proclaim proudly all are welcome, that is above all else true. What is also true is those who have leadership roles in Christ Church Parish need to support the work of this parish with attendance and with financial support. That is the nature of membership.
No one ever need agree about every function or decision of the parish, yet as leadership in ministry we support the mission of the church, locally and globally. As a vestry and staff and in other ministries of the parish we use consensus for decision making. Does it always work ? Almost always!, because we practice listening first before speaking.
Recognizing gifts for ministry is a life-long process and as we serve God in this place we have had some challenges. From those challenges we have set expectations for leadership.
You will read that the vestry has implemented a policy impacting current leadership, specifically leadership that is not involved in our parish. Simply put, if you aren’t worshiping in the parish then you ought not serve or lead ministry in this parish. It is certainly a long-standing understanding in church life.
The policy is not punitive but it is deliberate, it is a commitment to the mission and vision in the parish. We claim: we are a parish of people committed to Christ, we are a community grounded in reconciliation, we are a fellowship of believers willing to be engaged in the practice of resurrection.
Amen! Alleluia!
Rev. Alison +
