March 9

Beloved of God,

It’s good to be back on the Cape after spending several days last week in Charlotte at the Episcopal Parish Network conference. Clergy and lay leaders from around the church gathered to think about the future of our congregations, and one of the most important voices we heard was our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe.

He spoke very directly about the moment the Episcopal Church is in. The church is smaller than it once was, resources are tighter, and many congregations are wondering what the future will look like. But his message was not one of decline. It was a call to clarity and purpose.

Rather than trying to hold on to old assumptions about how the church once worked, he encouraged us to focus on several strategic priorities for the church’s future: strengthening local congregations, forming new leaders for ministry, focusing our common mission, and telling the story of who we are as Episcopalians.

What struck me as I listened is that these are not just national church conversations. They are parish conversations. What does it mean for St. Mary’s to strengthen the life of this congregation for the decades ahead? How do we help form the next generation of leaders – both lay and ordained? What ministries are we being called to focus on in this community? And how do we become more comfortable sharing the story of our faith and the life we have found in Christ?

These are the kinds of questions that shape the future of a parish.

Lent, in many ways, is the perfect season to think about them. It’s a time when the church slows down a bit, reflects on its life, and asks where God might be leading us next.

That’s part of the spirit behind our Lent n’ Lunch gatherings on Wednesdays at 11:30. This year we’re exploring the Episcopal Church’s Way of Love, which is a simple pattern of Christian life built around practices like prayer, learning, worship, rest, and service.

This week our focus is Prayer, not as an abstract idea, but as something lived. How do we pray? When do we pray? What difference does prayer make in our lives and in the life of a community?

If you’re curious about deepening your own prayer life or simply want to spend an hour reflecting together during Lent, I hope you’ll join us. Soup and bread will be served! Please register at info@stmarysbarnstable.org so that we know how much soup to prepare.

Sometimes the future of the church begins in very simple ways.

Often it begins with prayer.

Faithfully,