This statement exemplifies for us a profound meaning of community. The vote that was taken last week truly was a vote about whether or not this community desired to remain together, whether you were willing to live together in the name of Jesus.
We must remember that God calls, gathers and forms every faithful community. (Embracing the Journey) Knowing that we have been called here by God to be a part of the community gathered and to both help form the community and to be formed by it gives us a deeper appreciation for why we are here and what we might be called to do as members of this community of faith.
On the edge of the decision to make one site the primary place of mission there is a community that is struggling with grief over the loss of the building that has been a home for their faith for many years; a place that has been a part of their lifes transitional moments. It is this type of personal attachment that creates a grief in us that can make it difficult to see the value in holding the community of faith together. While there have been actions taken by some that have been hurtful I am hoping that the power of forgiveness will supersede the need for vengeance. It is in that vein that I call upon the members of this community to be compassionate and loving and above all please keep those who are struggling in your prayers.
The time now has come to move forward, to be re-energized for the work of Christ. Our fall programming will resume in just a few weeks and this year we will once again present Wonderful Wednesdays. Along with the great childrens program planned we are working toward having three different opportunities for adult Christian Education available. Wonderful Wednesday for all ages will begin September 13th. We have added some great and enthusiastic youth leaders. In our adult program we will offer a study of Pauls letter to the Ephesians over a six week period. There will be a Companions in Christ group starting (only six people will be enrolled on a first come basis); October 25th there will be an 'Artist's Way' group beginning to explore a path to higher creativity. We hope you are as excited as we are about the upcoming Christian Education year and we hope your family will join us. During the winter months we anticipate the beginning of a Fitness for Faith group that will be a fun time of exercise of body, mind and spirit.
Throughout the next few months we will be intentional about creating an environment for healing the wounds in this community. We are planning a heritage day to honor the rich histories of the Episcopal Church in Clinton and we are planning restorative workshops and worship services as well. We will be working toward becoming a more genuine community of faith. So that we are better able to reflect the divine image in which we were created, called and formed.
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