‘Love God; And Love Each Other.’ – Jesus
From Your Cathedral
Friday, 09.17.21
September brings many things. Kids return to school. Football excites many and the arts light up the cultural seasons of the symphony and the stage. In a normal year.

These last two years have been anything but normal.  But one thing that has not changed is another fall ritual. The changing of the leaves. The brilliant colors that burst upon us after a rainstorm and a cool breeze that follows. God paints us a picture and people flock to see the spectacle.

It happens every year. Pandemic or not.  We can count on God to give us the show. 

And we need that this year more than ever. To know there is something we can count on, that life is still somewhat normal.

Church life is somewhat like that. We look forward to the Fall when we can return to the rituals that give our life foundation. The choir that sings, the laughter as we greet old friends after church, the anticipation of the upcoming holiday season not so far away. In a normal year.

One thing we can count on, normal year or not, is the hope that God gives us. It helps us deal with uncertainty and gives us our own sense of inner peace. We know God will be in our hearts just as we know the leaves will give us another show.  But what does God expect of us?

These last few years have been challenging for every organization, Saint Mark’s included. How do we keep God’s flock together when we are all apart? We invested in live stream virtual service presentations. It has nearly doubled the size of our congregation each week. We creatively developed programs that allow people to connect virtually.  We helped our community partners who provide vital services to weather the pandemic storm.

But we also had to get creative financially. And that has put a strain on our budgets.

This is where we can answer the question: what does God expect of us?
  
Fall brings many things. It is a time we can all look at the future and reflect on what we can do for God and for Saint Mark’s.  This year’s annual giving campaign focuses on our own “Spirit of Generosity” as we look to the future. How will we emerge from the pandemic? Will we be stronger? More vibrant? Hopefully we will be more thankful.

As you receive our request in the coming days to financially support the work of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, remember that God has been with us through these last two years and God will be with us forever.  Saint Mark’s will be also, with your financial support. Contemplate these two questions…Why does it matter that Saint Mark's Cathedral exists? What three things will keep it the vibrant community that it is?

We need to support the programs and outreach of the Cathedral. We need to support the clergy and support staff who make that all happen, and we need to make sure that we can do that for years to come. Our stewardship challenge this year is $1 million. It sounds like a lot. But we have done it before. We can do it again.

As you consider those two questions, consider also what your gift can mean to Saint Mark’s. We are a community of God’s children.  Your gifts are important to keeping our community vibrant and growing.

Peace.

Paul Lakeman
Senior Warden - Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
519 Oak Grove Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone Number:
(612) 870-7800