A MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR
NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE
W
e are quickly sliding into the summertime, and even though the heat has not yet descended upon us, there is a change in the air. Summer will bring with it a certain relief from the rhythm and rush of the school year, but this year, that relief will be very different. Over these past two months, I have found our common sense of unity remarkable. Surveys of American adults across the country showed levels of generosity and agreement that we have not experienced since 9/11. We have done remarkably well, but we have now entered what I have been calling “the second phase” of our response to the novel coronavirus. In this second phase, it will be easy for us to lose the unity we felt in April and become disagreeable about what we should and should not do moving forward. I hope we’re better than that. Just last week, I was reminded of just how much we have been through in our nation and in our world. I had the privilege of presiding over the graveside service of Bob Brackbill who, before his death, was our oldest living member at 100 years. Bob’s long life made his death sad and joyful at the same time, and his warmth and hopeful spirit made his graveside service especially uplifting. This hopefulness was emphasized in the small bulletin prepared for the service, where a handwritten note from Bob had been scanned and printed on the inside cover. The note read simply, “Thank you God for these 100 wonderful years. I am very grateful. I love
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THE ARCHANGEL | SUMMER 2020
you.” Born in 1919, just imagine all that Bob lived through. And yet, at the very end of his life, he was at peace, resting in ultimate gratitude for the gift of life. I tell you that story not to make you sad, but to inspire us all to remain focused on the big picture, the long game, on God. It’s so easy for us to experience hardship and begin to look inward, losing ourselves in the process. When people experience difficulties, especially as a big group, they often begin to seek spiritual connections they do not have. Whether you’ve lost your car keys, had a big fight with a loved one, or are experiencing a pandemic, it’s normal to seek after a spiritual truth when life is hard. Church communities, especially Episcopal church communities, often seek God in the very sacred, sacramental actions we share. We have been taught and conditioned to find God in those extremely special moments. Sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace given by Christ. I am convicted in the truth of God’s presence in the mystery of the sacraments, and rooting ourselves in them is a very good habit! However, we can find God in many places outside the sacraments, especially in one another. In seminary, Dr. Greg Jones, one of my professors, spoke about holy friendships and the idea has stuck with me. Holy friends are not common, and perhaps they’re not even the people we first choose to be around, but holy friends are the people we really need in our lives. Dr. Jones described holy friends as the people who “challenge the sins we have come to love, affirm the gifts we are afraid to claim, and help us dream dreams we otherwise would not dream.” They’re the people
