Changed, not ended.
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
There is a line in our Book of Common Prayer, that has come back to me many times in these last days: "For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended..." It comes from a portion of the Eucharistic prayer that we say at funerals, and it points us toward the promise of eternal life. This good news continues to come back to me as we wade further into this strange season because our life at St. Matt's is changed - but it is far from ended. In fact, our life continues to be a vibrant witness to the life of Jesus: the promise of hope, the safety we find in faithful relationships, and the certainty of God's love.
A few signs that we are busy about God's work: Yesterday, Samantha led a scavenger hunt online for our middle school youth and then helped them prepare something special. Scott has compelling plans to incorporate music into our worship and into our lives. Nancy is coordinating our worship, communications, and helping us plan ahead. Don and Meg have offered us beautiful moments of prayer in the last few days. And if you tuned in, you know that worship on Sunday morning brought us together despite the physical distance. All of our programming is now taking place online, and we're still inventing and unfolding some new ideas.
Our hope is that you will use some (or all!) of these opportunities to help structure your day. For many of us, it will help to have fixed patterns, landing places, connections. And these moments together will invite you more and more into community with God and with each other. God made us social creatures, we need to be part of a faith community, to be connected to each other. So, while our life is changed, there is still so much to share. Plug in and join us as we worship, laugh, grow, learn, sing, and pray. Everything you need to know will be in these bi-weekly emails, on our website, and in our Parishioner Facebook Group.
We will continue to worship and connect virtually for the foreseeable future. And our life continues to be full; because with God there is always new life to celebrate, good work to do. In fact, I just had a conversation this morning about a baptism I hope we'll celebrate together. The Mission team is working hard to support those in our community who are caring for others in Wilton and beyond. We have systems and support in place to care for those who need it. And there are meaningful conversations and connections happening all over the place. Our life and witness to the good news of Jesus continues. And I'm thankful for it.
Changed life, continued life, new life, all this is the promise of God. No matter how dark it is, a light always shines. No matter the distance, God is near you. And no matter how much you may be wrestling to believe, God believes in you. So, join us - start by taking on some good patterns and routines for yourself and your family, they will help carry you through this time. Lent is a perfect season to choose those new patterns. Get connected, stay connected. Worship, learn, and grow with us. Be in touch with me if you need anything or to set up a time to talk. Let this community bless you by walking with you through this strange and anxious time - and come be a blessing to others who need to hear, see, and be with you. Our life at St. Matt's is changed for a time, but it is not ended. And there will be a time when we are back together again. May you hear and receive this good news and then go and share it with others.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +
Tags: Welcome from the Rector