Rector’s Update: June 10, 2020
Dear Restoration,
It has been a full week. I am grateful for the words we prayed in morning prayer today from Psalm 100:
‘Know that the Lord, he is God! It is He who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’
I am so grateful to be HIS.
I have 4 things for you this week and I am sincerely asking that you would respond to each one. I want you to know about our plans. I want to hear how you are doing. I want you to have opportunities to gather with friends. I want you to listen and learn about the racial injustice moment in which we find ourselves. Thanks. You are a responsive church and there are several responses I am requesting from you this week.
1. Watch the Parish Meeting: Ou wardens, treasurer, and I hosted 2 parish meetings this week. Well over 200 of you listened in- which is record-breaking for a parish meeting by a long shot. Thanks. If you already heard the parish meeting, you can skip this one! If you missed it, please take 45 minutes and listen as I recount the last 3 months and suggest how the next few months could look at Restoration. This is information you want.
2. Fill out the survey: We want to know how you are doing now and how you are feeling about the possibility of re-opening our facility for public gatherings and worship in the future. I would love for every person who gets this email to fill it out. Thank you!
3. Host a Summer Gathering: As I explained at the parish meeting, we are seeking to offer a variety of small, outdoor opportunities for people in our congregation to connect to each other this summer. Perhaps you would like to host a yard Eucharist, or popsicles in your driveway, or pizza on your patio, or ‘sitting in adirondack chairs with no kids around for quiet conversation’, or something we haven’t thought of yet… Fill out this form with your awesome idea this week. Then, next week, look for a sign-up genius with lots of summer gathering opportunities!
4. Read this book. Listen to this lecture. Join this conversation. In this time of unrest over racial injustice, I am going to lead a Zoom discussion on Jemar Tisby’s book, The Color of Compromise: the truth about the American church’s complicity in racism. You can get the book, here. Not sure you want to read the book? Please listen to this lecture that Jemar did last year on a ‘A Racial Reformation in the 21st Century’. You will be challenged by the book and the lecture. You will disagree with some of it. You will learn stuff you didn’t know. Let’s talk about it. On July 8, 15, and 22 at 7pm, I will host a Zoom discussion on the book. It is open to anyone who wants to participate from anywhere in the world. Invite a friend.
Thank you for reading and responding, Restoration! Thank you for faithfully joining in to the significant work that God is doing in us and through our church. I look forward to seeing more of you in person as the weeks go by!
So glad to be His.
-David
