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This past Sunday, February 4, was a bit of a milestone for me.
Actually, there were multiple milestones I noticed on Sunday. (I find there are milestones everywhere, if only I can remember to look for them.)
- It was my “one-month anniversary” of serving as Associate Pastor at Saint Mark.
- It was the first Sunday of Black History month.
- It was the first class of new members to join St. Mark in calendar year 2024.
- It was my first time to engage in a “dialogue sermon” message.
- It was the final message in our first sermon series of the year – UMC Membership Vows.
I am sure there were other milestones I may have missed, but those five undergird my Monday Meditation this week. (Which I am beginning to think should perhaps be renamed “Midweek Meditation” when it returns after Lent concludes!)
Why did I want to highlight these milestones in particular?
Because I am thrilled to say it feels as if I have been a part of Saint Mark United Methodist Church for much longer than a month! You have graciously received me in big and small ways, such that I already feel included as a true partner in this wonderful fellowship. I can’t say enough good things about the staff, the lay leadership, and all the volunteers who make Saint Mark the warm and welcoming community that it is.
Because I am thrilled to be serving in a place that takes seriously the importance of honoring Black History. I am proud to be a part of a congregation with the history that St. Mark has. I am humbled by Saint Mark UMC’s role as a leading voice for desegregation in Atlanta during the Civil Rights era of the 1960’s. That same commitment to justice, equality, and equity has continued to lead Saint Mark as it has become a beacon in our contemporary struggles for inclusion. There are individuals and families looking to find their way home to God, here in Midtown and beyond. And I love that St. Mark offers a distinctive witness about our faith and hope in a living and loving God.
Because I am thrilled to be a part of a congregation that is actually adding new members to our body. At a moment where the pain and grief of North Georgia’s disaffiliation struggles are yet fresh in our denominational memory, Saint Mark is adding new members! There are visitors coming through our doors! Hallelujah! At a moment where there are displaced United Methodists all over the metropolitan Atlanta area looking for a place within our connection to make a new church home, Saint Mark continues to reveal its nature as a place of genuine radical hospitality. May we never, ever, ever take for granted the fact that people would choose St. Mark as their church home – for a season or a lifetime.
Because I am thrilled to serve with a Senior Pastor, staff, and lay leadership team who are always seeking to keep worship fresh. We work hard to bring the best of traditional, liturgical worship to life in relevant and meaningful ways – and huge amount of that emanates from the leadership of Pastor Carolyn. It is special to work as part of a team where the leader is unafraid to share the spotlight, and who invests in helping see her staff be successful in what they bring to our collective work. I relish the creativity and inventiveness that I have seen since I came on board – our dialogue sermon this past Sunday being but one example among many I could name.
Because I am thrilled to have started the year with each of you, re-examining our vows as members of the United Methodist Church. When I consider the impact that we could make – collectively – if we each individually lived into our commitments to support St. Mark through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness … well, as I like to say, “Imagine it … and the world changed!” I still believe that we CAN change the world. And maybe that is a part of my own witness this week. I am feeling like very special things are coming for St. Mark and the people of the United Methodist Church – let’s make ourselves ready!
Grace & Peace –
Andy
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