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November 2007
I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward
in Christ Jesus. (Philippians
3:14 NIV)
Dear All Saints' Family,
It was ten years ago this
month that the mutual discernment process which eventually brought Janet
and me to All Saints' began. I believe with all my heart that the Holy
Spirit was working through the search committee, the vestry, and us to
call us together for the heavenly purpose of accomplishing His work.
After a period of getting t know one another, we embarked on a mutual
quest to discover and carry out the will of God for this parish at this
time in its history Over the year we have see God accomplish much. Ours
is a wonderful, gifted and blessed congregation. As the old
advertisement said, we've come a long way baby", but our work is far
from over.
My old seminary dean used to
tell us that anything worth doing is worth doing well and that we
students always needed to remember to work hard and to dedicate our best
effort to the Lord's work. This was true especially toward the end of a
semester when crunch time was upon us. The apostle Paul certainly knew
this when he wrote to the fledgling churches he founded. To encourage
them he used words and phrases like press on, persevere, endure
suffering, run the race as if to win, finish the work you were called to
do. He applied this also to his own life especially when times were
difficult. While in prison for his faith and in the face of death he
wrote, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has
called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Paul refused to give in to
surrounding pressures, to difficult circumstances, and to the
disappointment in many who followed him who gave up or put in
half-hearted effort for whatever reason. No, Paul continued to 'press
on'.
It is time for us to press on.
When I returned from sabbatical I was so pleased to see that the plans
to add office, storage, and classroom space were moving ahead. It was
hard to say goodbye to the Tutons, but their departure has already
opened the doors for new people to step into leadership positions
with fresh vision. Our ministries of and to God's Older Children, Youth
for Truth, Church School, Men and Women, Evangelism, Outreach,
Fellowship, Choir, Contemporary Worship, Prayer, and the Guilds that
work to make Sunday mornings special remain vibrant and ongoing, but we
need to continue to 'press on'.
We need to press on because
God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. He has called us, in the
words of St. Paul, "to fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep
the faith". The months ahead will be a challenge as we carry out our
building plans, struggle with financing issues, and wait on word as to
the fate of the Anglican Communion. With God's help, we will emerge from
this time stronger, better equipped, and eager to finish the work God
has called us to do.
May
the grace and peace of God be with us all,
Fr. David+
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