Dear People of All Saints',

I am writing this the day after returning from California. We had a wonderful two weeks visiting with the kids and getting to know our new grandson. Aidan is a precious little guy and spending time with him and holding him has made him more a part of us. Our time with him reminded Janet and me of the way God views us. He sees us as his precious children and wants the best for us just as we want the best for our little ones. I thank the Lord for the time we had.

Before we left on vacation the vestry met for retreat and had a very fruitful time. I was grateful for the spirit of unity as we began the process of forming a revised vision statement for our parish. We spent Friday evening pondering the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement. We learned that the vision statement is where we discern what God is forming us to be; the mission statement is the articulation of what we are doing to get there. We are well on our way and will be communicating our results soon.

By the time you get this letter we will be in the season of Lent. Lent is the time of preparation for the celebration of the heart of our faith: the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Over the next six weeks we will ponder what the saving act of God means to us, and hopefully each of us will make a commitment to cultivate a deeper relationship with him. Traditionally we do this by fasting and prayer, acts of discipline, compassion and study. Our Wednesday night program of soup suppers and corporate study will begin on March 3.

Finally, much has been made in the media about Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ. I have not yet seen it but plan to include it in my personal Lenten discipline. My understanding is that The Passion is a very graphic depiction of the last twelve hours of Jesus' life and vividly expresses the horror of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. It is said that the audiences that have seen the movie come away speechless and in tears by its intensity. For us Christians, I see this as an opportunity to help others to understand the consequences of sin, the brutality of evil, and the extreme sacrifice that Jesus made for the sins of the world.  For God so loved the word that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 RSV).

The movie is rated R, and I would think that parents would want to preview the movie before allowing their children to go. I understand that the graphic images are not appropriate for young children. The caution coming from the media is that the movie could lead to blame for the Jewish community. We all know that our faith teaches us we are all responsible for the death of Jesus, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Almost all of those who have screened the movie and Gibson himself are adamant that anti-Semitism is not the message of The Passion. The real message is the love of God and the end to which God would go for the forgiveness of our sins.

May God bless you all this Lenten season,

Fr. David