Rector’s Address

Annual Meeting Sunday

January 16, 2005

One of the amazing things about our lectionary, the schedule of Bible readings that we use every Sunday, is how often these apparently random passages speak directly to the situations of our life.  Today we are celebrating our Annual Meeting, and it is my task to give an annual address.  When I turned to the lessons, lo and behold, they were all about calling. 

v     Isaiah testifies that the LORD called him before he was born to be a prophet not just for Israel but a light to the nations so that God’s salvation might reach to the ends of the earth.

v     Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth that they were called by God into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

v     And in our Gospel Jesus calls his first disciples, Andrew and Peter.

I want to look at the state of St. Luke’s right now in light of these Scriptures.  I believe we are in the midst of a profound transformation here at St. Luke’s, a transformation which began roughly ten years ago and which, by God’s grace, is still ongoing.  In some ways this transformation has been gradual enough to escape notice, but in other ways it is very evident indeed.  So, let me say a few words about where I believe St. Luke’s has been, where we are now, and where we are headed.    

First, our past.  St. Luke’s has a rich history and tradition, exemplified by this beautiful church with its exquisite stained glass windows, organ and peal of twelve bells.  When describing the tradition of St. Luke’s, words like dignity, formality and stability come to mind.  Leadership has been centralized in a series of strong rectors, the last three averaging an unheard of quarter century each.  Members of St. Luke’s have been proud to be part of one of the strongest churches in our diocese, and affectionately refer to it as the “cathedral of the Southern Tier.”  But on the other hand, St. Luke’s has also been slower than many churches to embrace the movements toward expanding the ministry of the laity in general, and of women and youth in particular.  We have struggled in the past with a reputation for being God’s “frozen people,” a little stiff and somewhat cold towards newcomers.  But the consensus is that there has been a decided shift in the last decade in the welcoming spirit of this church. 

St. Luke’s today is blessed by many lay people who continue to step forward in leadership, and who are committed to reaching out to all in our community.  We are blessed by the expanding involvement of youth in our worship and parish life.  And we are blessed by the ministry of Susan, and now Sandra and Cathy, women who have responded to a particular call of God to ordination.  For some at St. Luke’s this has been a joyful step, long overdue.  For others, it has been difficult to accept.  I am so proud and so grateful for the way in which this parish has been able to hang together, despite differences of opinion.  This remarkable attitude was tested yet again over the consecration of Gene Robinson in New Hampshire and the vote at General Convention to ratify that election.  Some parishioners were delighted by this decision and some were appalled, yet by God’s grace we have been able to remain a community, a family, gathered together around the altar of Jesus Christ.  We may disagree on things, even strongly at times, but we never stop caring about one another, and worshiping and working together.

This present period has been marked by subtler changes as well.  We are in the midst of moving from a rector-centered church to a ministry-centered church.  What does that mean?  It means that I am firmly committed to strengthening and empowering the ministry of every person here at St. Luke’s.  I have never been in a church with so many gifted leaders in every field of endeavor.  Almost every vital institution in Jamestown has been shaped and influenced by members of this parish.  As we move forward I want each one of you to see your work, your community involvement and your family life as true ministries, true callings.  And within the parish I am trying to give over authority where I feel it is appropriate to the vestry, committee chairs and ministry leaders.  For this parish to thrive, we need shared leadership, expanded leadership, in every area of ministry.  I cannot and should not chair every committee and lead every endeavor, and so I am turning over as much as I can to willing and able leaders.  I see my developing role as recruiting, training and working with our leaders to keep us on track.  This requires a continuing attitude adjustment both for me and our lay leaders, as well as a commitment to continuous communication.  It also frees me to focus more attention on pastoral care, an area identified by many parishioners as vitally important, and an area about which I care deeply.

That brings me forward to the future and back to our Scriptures for today.  For this emerging vision to succeed, we all need to hear and respond to God’s call in our life.  This does not necessarily mean that we need to do more.  For some, it will in fact mean doing less, because it will mean focusing on the priorities God has set and letting go of all the rest.  As we continue to work through our parish plan, we will be asking every parishioner to embark or continue on a process of spiritual discernment and growth.  This process will include growing in faith through programs like “A Journey of Faith,” which will start this Lent.  Watch the VOICE this week for information.  The process will include programs and workshops which will give you the tools to discover your gifts and put them to use as you hear and respond to God’s call.  It will mean developing those gifts and that calling through ongoing fellowship groups and ministries in the church and community.  This sounds pretty exhausting, but it isn’t.  Instead it is about living a simpler, more focused, more joyful life that is centered in God.

For me joy is the key.  More than anything else I want to be a joyful Christian in a joyful community of Christians.  I want our worship, our outreach, our fellowship to be overflowing with joy.  Joy isn’t something we can manufacture on our own.  It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is dependent on receiving and accepting God’s transforming grace.  Joy is the direct result of practicing faith, and I believe it is the essence of the Christian life.

I want to close with an image, a picture of the church in transition.  Look around you for a moment.  What do you see?  Plastic and scaffolding, dust and clutter.  Our beloved church is a mess, and it makes us all a bit anxious and unsettled.  But look again.  What do you see?  Something spectacular about to be revealed, a church brighter and more colorful, a church vibrant and beautiful, ready to sing God’s praise for the next hundred years. 

At this moment we are as a community a lot like the church itself, a work in progress.  A lot is happening, but we’re not always sure where it’s going.  There are moments of confusion, of stress and anxiety.  But it is precisely at times like these when the Spirit is most active, most present to those who can see with the eyes of faith.  We need at this time to step forward in faith and follow where God is leading us.  When Andrew and Peter first met Jesus, he invited them to “Come and see.”  Now he speaks the same words to us:  “Come and see.”  Come and see the wonderful future I have prepared for you.  Come and experience the joy I have in store for you.  Come and be a part of my kingdom, come answer my call.  It’s all about faith.

410 North Main Street, Jamestown, New York 14701

Phone (716)483-6405 * Fax (716)483-6406 * stluke@madbbs.com