Renewal Works & Prayers for Election Day
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
Two important points on this first Tuesday in November. First: On Sunday, after we celebrated together the Feast of All Saints, your RenewalWorks team met for the second time to begin working through the data provided to us from the Spiritual Life Inventory. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the 85 of you who participated in the Inventory! Pam and I both wrote to you about how important this was, and you responded. Thank you so much.
The anonymous data you provided is being presented to a team of parishioners who will work with me and ultimately with the Vestry and the rest of the parish to chart a course forward mindful both of the season that we're in while also planning for the longview of the next 2-4 years. At the heart of this work is the belief that each one of us is on a spiritual journey, and that God longs to be nearer to your on that journey. St. Matt's wants to continue to support you in your spiritual journey as we all grow together. The RenewalWorks team will explore where we are as a congregation, where we have been, and where we might go in the future as the parish seeks to better support and encourage your spiritual journey and the spiritual life of the whole congregation.
We'll keep you posted as we make our way further into this work, but for today I wanted you to know that this team is meeting, they are engaged, and they have good data to work with because of your faithful participation. Thank you. If you have questions about the process or want to know more, I encourage you to be in touch with Pam Ely, Joe Magnano, or with me. We'd be glad to talk more with you. I'm deeply grateful to Pam and Joe for their leadership. And I'm tremendously grateful to the RenewalWorks team who are engaging this work so faithfully on behalf of all of us. Take a look at the whole team in the Sunday bulletin and consider adding them to your weekly or daily prayers!
On a separate note, you may have noticed in the last few weeks that we have shared a number of prayers for the country and for the election on our website and social media pages. These are resources originally shared by our Presiding Bishop. The Episcopal Church has long held the belief that civic responsibility is an important part of our life, and that as we work at being good citizens, all our actions and motivations should be formed and informed by our Christian faith. So, I hope that you have (or will!) exercise your civic responsibility today to vote, and I hope you will do so with Jesus' love and the teachings of the Gospel in your heart.
Please consider using some of the prayers we've posted in the last few weeks to center yourself today and to remind you that we are all God's children. If you're feeling anxious about this day and need a moment of peace, join us at 9pm for Compline. The link and the bulletin are below. This service is only about fifteen minutes, so it's a short pause in the evening before settling in. And it's a beautiful way to offer the day to God and to connect with some folks who care for you. Even if you've never joined us before, join us tonight for a few minutes of holiness in the midst of this busy day.
You are all in my prayers today. Please don't hesitate to be in touch if there is anything that I can do for you. God bless you and keep you safe.
Faithfully,
-- Marissa +
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