Dear People of Grace,
I spent the evening and morning in prayer, and I wanted to send this video to you after talking with the wardens and staff. In these unprecedented times, with ongoing pressure with the pandemic, with so many having lost jobs, we also find ourselves called to lean into needed conversations around race and community development.
While the pandemic has added a layer of concern around social gathering, the need for substantial transformation and justice cannot be denied. A question I have for us all, recognizing that many are not able to leave their homes and others struggle with knowing how to hold presence is this: How can we be present in our hearts with the pain of our neighbor?
I want to encourage you to love fully, to be present in a way that supports the needed transformation, and to recognize more and more the truth of our deep interconnection with each other. Our baptismal covenant calls us to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Jesus calls us “to love our neighbor as ourselves.” These are the foundations of a true Christian ethic.
Cynthia and I invite you to join us for Evening Prayer on Facebook on Saturday, June 6 at 7:00 PM. We will stream from the nave, calling the Grace community to prayer, and will peal the tower bells at 7:30 PM to call attention to the vigil at that time. I encourage you to take part and watch on social media, and I encourage you to light a candle in your home and center yourselves in prayer for our entire community. I pledge to you that the staff is working on opportunities for continued dialogue and formation throughout the summer and onward, as we continue to come together to support each other as fellow children of God.
And I want to thank you for being an amazing group of people who inspire me each day to be a better priest. These are not easy days, my friends, but I have no doubt that we can listen more fully to the Spirit’s call on our lives.
God bless you all,
Stuart