Dear People of St. David’s,

I pray that you and yours are safe and well and that you are finding some time to get outside and enjoy these warmer, beautiful spring days. Hasn’t the moon been extraordinary! I’ve been getting out some, but am looking forward to getting my hands into the garden soil and relaxing outside more and more.

This Sunday is Annual Meeting Sunday when we will gather together in-person or virtually to review the year that has passed. What a year it has been! I believe that all of us have struggled in different ways over the course of the year with changes we did not accept or want. It’s been hard to find a balance between hope and discouragement with the pandemic, the physical separation, and the reality of the challenges and conflicts that have affected all of our lives. And though we are seeing signs of better days ahead, we are now feeling challenged by taking up the life that is before us and walking in the Way of Love, our theme for this most unusual year.

Like the Hebrews wandering through the desert on their long journey to the promised land, we’re not quite sure where we’re going or how long until we arrive. They had no idea where they were going except that God was with them and led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that took them on the next step of the journey. And even in the wilderness, there was manna. There was nourishment for the journey as a personal sign of God’s presence and purposes.

We’ve had a good bit of manna over this past year ourselves. There have been some incredible moments of grace and goodness. As a community, we have stayed together and welcomed new people into St. David’s. We prefer in-person worship and receiving the sacrament, but the livestreamed worship has kept us connected spiritually and allowed us to reach far beyond our community.

We’ve continued to learn together on Sundays and during the week. We had an amazing drive-through on Fair Day with many of our Outreach partners among us. We had an incredibly successful UnFair! that drew us together and raised funds to support our grants program. We had Christmas lights in the Churchyard during Advent, an online Christmas pageant, outdoor Stations of the Cross, and choirs coming together virtually to make music. The reach of our generosity expanded during COVID and taught us that the love of neighbor and the care for the least among us is at the very core of who we are and what we’re about.

We have thrived and will continue to thrive and be this church on a mission to know God in Jesus Christ and make Christ known to others by God’s grace and by our commitment. Let us give thanks then for the year that is past and the year to come by joining in a moment of celebration this Sunday and in the days and years to come. Please join us Sunday morning for worship and for the Annual Meeting and taste and see how good the Lord is.

P.S. As part of the journey forward, we will begin to open up for small group meetings and ministries beginning on May 1st. Please check with Diane Dowlin, who is responsible for scheduling meetings, or just drop by and say hello.

Grace and Peace and Love,

The Rev. W. Frank Allen