Rector’s Update: I have seen the Lord!
Dear Restoration,
“…Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later He would rise from the dead.” (Mark 8:31, NLT)
Every year I struggle with finding the right words to describe what it’s like to walk through Holy Week with y’all. Everything slows down and becomes more vivid. I see people and connect with them as I wash their feet, carry the cross, set out flowers, and enjoy our resurrection party.
The reality that “what Jesus said would happen…” It happened.
The gratitude that He did it for me.
The wonder that He did it at all.
The anticipation that what He did has changed and will change the story.
It’s hard to find words that capture the experience, so I’ll just borrow Mary Magdalene’s: “I’ve seen the Lord.” (John 20:18)
It brought me exuberant joy to see the Lord with you over the last week. Thank you.
He changes the story. Learning more from Romans
As the gardener proclaimed to us on Easter morning, “Jesus changes the story.”
His death and resurrection changed the story.
This Sunday we will start a new series from the book of Romans. Between now and the end of the academic year, during the spring trimester of small groups, we will study Romans 1-3. Jesus indeed changed the story on Easter… the book of Romans explains to us what that means: What story did He change? How is it different? How am I implicated in that story? What must I do in response to that story? What does that story mean for me, my loved ones, and this world?
Our Christian hope is not grounded in mere ‘change’. Our hope is grounded in the reality that instead of being given over to things that will ultimately destroy us, we have been invited into new life that is lived in the abundance defined by His limits and constraints. This book and this series details the excellence of a life lived under the leadership of the risen Christ. I hope that you and your friends will join us on Sundays and in small groups as we dig in to this helpful teaching about what Christian’s believe.
I want to invite you again to the ‘Pre-Sermon Discussion of Romans 1:18-32’ that I will host on April 27 from 7:30-8:30pm. This will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and for us to dialogue about a very challenging section of Scripture before I preach on it, April 30th. Let me know that you are coming!
The 4th Global Anglican Future Conference in Kigali, Rwanda (GAFCON IV)
I just got back from sabbatical… but I am leaving again for about a week! This Saturday! Every five years, there has been a gathering of faithful Anglicans from around the world who are deliberately working together to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and the power of God to transform lives. It is called The Global Anglican Future Conference. I have been honored to attend in 2013 (Nairobi), in 2018 (Jerusalem), and now I am joining a delegation of people from our diocese who will be in Kigali. There will be thousands of people with us. You can read the schedule of the conference here and watch the livestreams as well.
I have written before that so much of our unity as Anglicans is expressed in ancient and low-tech fashion. We know that we are together because we physically show up in the same place. We take the Eucharist together. We listen to the Scriptures preached. Being there is an indication that we are together in this. Not being there means you are not in communion. Thus it is important and exciting to be there and to get to be a part of it. I always look forward to the people I will meet and the stories I will hear of what God is doing around the world. I will return to Arlington on April 22nd and I look forward to worshiping with you (a little jet lagged!) on April 23rd.
A new, old cross
One of the joys for me this Easter was welcoming back to our chancel the beautiful cross that Steve Brooks made for Restoration during my last sabbatical in 2016! It is adorned with copper. If you look closely at the vertical piece, you can see a thin line running straight down, indicating the relationship God created for us, with Him, through the death of His Son. He changed the story.
Take a close(r) look that next time you are at church and offer Deacon Steve your gratitude for all of the ways that he uses his gifts to serve our congregation. Thank you, Steve!
I love our church. I loved celebrating Holy Week and Easter with you. I love our joy because of the stories God changes.
See you soon!
-The Gardener
Speaking of joy… this was me and Rev. Scott as we took scooters back to get our cars after walking the cross to the church on Good Friday. Glee!
