A storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him saying, "Master, Master we are perishing!" And he awoke and rebuked the winds and the raging waves: and they ceased, and there was calm. And he said to them, "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:23-25 RSV)

Dear All Saints' Family,

I am writing this the morning after hurricane Isabel visited our neighborhood leaving trees, limbs, and debris in her wake. Although we had a number of large limbs come crashing down, and one small portion of our fence was damaged, there was no flooding and the church came through this relatively unscathed. We also did not lose power. For this, I give thanks to God. The sun is now peaking through the clouds, and the winds are dying down. The weather report calls for a lovely weekend.

Last night Janet and I were awakened by a loud crash and later discovered that a falling limb had crushed our neighbor's cars. We watched as limbs from our beautiful oak tree creased to the ground with great force. In the midst of the hurricane we went outside to check things out and during one particular wind gust my heart sank. I have to admit I got scared. We retreated to the house and began to pray and the peace that passes all understanding calmed my fears and we went to sleep.

For me this is a metaphor of my hope for All Saints' during this present time. The actions of General Convention have initiated a storm in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. There is profound disagreement over biblical interpretation and authority around the issue of human sexuality. For many, the passion surrounding these issues is great, and anxiety over  whether the church will survive this storm has affected us all. Now is the time for all of us to keep our eye on the Lord, to pray, and most of all to remain faithful to Jesus.

In nature storms can be a good thing. Firestorms bring new life to forests, floods cleanse rivers, and winds are sometimes God's way of pruning trees. Likewise the storms we face in life can be opportunities to strengthen our faith as we witness the presence and power of Christ in them. Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness (James1:2-4 RSV).

When a great storm arose on the sea, the disciples panicked and were overwhelmed with fear. Jesus not only brought calm in the midst of the storm, he delivered them up on the short where they marveled at his power. There lies my hope We must all remember that the church belongs to Jesus and he is the head. He is able to bring calm in the middle of our storms as well as power to bring us safely to the other side. Let us keep our eyes on the one who is able to do all things and to bring us to even greater faith in his power, love and grace.

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

Fr. David