Cottage Meetings and Voting
From the Interim Rector’s Pen ….
RE: Reports on the Cottage Meetings and Voting
1. Cottage Meetings Summary
Nine Cottage Meetings were held with a count of 56 people attending. A special thank you to the hosts and hostesses for their warm hospitality in opening up their homes, and to those who attended. The meetings were an hour and a half with a PowerPoint visual presentation documenting our accomplishments over the past two years. Information was presented and conversations occurred as we spoke of the children’s playground, the renovation of St. David’s courtyard, side-walks, and conversion to natural vegetation, to interior lighting needs of the church interior, exterior lighting enhancement as a result of burglaries and security, re-keying, and the renovation of St. David’s Hall as a result of our covenant relationship with The Red Cross. We spoke of the worship and spiritual life of the parish and the growth with expanding programs, especially Godly Play, education programs, and outreach with greater community exposure – such as with “Ashes to Go”, the Pride event, and joint church events during Lent. And then the two programs that fulfilled our dreams to have community interaction, the Holiday Bazaar and the English Afternoon Tea.
Important to the conversation was the fact that all of these accomplishments are because of our being good stewards and making intentional use of our time, talents, and treasure. As we spoke of our financial situation, we have done well with the Diocesan Audit, and we are running true to our 2024 budget goals for 2024. Because of our delayed maintenance issues, extra dollars went into significant improvements around the campus. And monies have been taken out of our reserves, which is the intention of such a fund. Because we have also witnessed a significant increase beyond our predictions with the plate offering on Sundays, we believe that we need to encourage “the regular plate-givers of Sundays” to consider making a pledge commitment. This would help immensely in guiding the vestry in creating a more realistic budget based on our potential giving. Already we have begun testimonies with Ministry Moments as we will launch the annual pledge campaign for the year 2025, with the theme “Walk in Love,” on October 20th through November 25th.
You all have a lot to be proud of with all of your accomplishments in these past two years in becoming a more vital and active church now well prepared to bring on the new full-time rector, The Very Rev. Tammy Smith-Firestone.
2. Voting is a Christian obligation (Bishop Michael Curry)
Many parish members have expressed to me their discomfort with our nation’s situation as we approach the Presidential Elections in a few weeks. There continues to be frustration and confusion, bipartisan spewing and lying, and multiple unpleasantries and expectations with future outcomes andreactions. What are we to do?
I share these words of our Episcopal primate, Michael Curry:
This November we will gather together as a nation to vote not only to elect a new president but to elect governmental leaders on a variety of levels.
We are blessed. We are blessed as a nation to be able to do so as citizens of this country. This is a right, an obligation, and a duty. And indeed the right and the privilege to be able to vote is something that was won through an American revolution. Something that was won even more through civil rights and women's suffrage. A right and a privilege that was won for all. So I encourage you to please go and vote. Vote your conscience. Vote your perspective. But vote.
But it's not just simply a civil obligation and duty. Voting and participation in our government is a way of participating in our common life. And that is a Christian obligation. Indeed, we who follow in the Way of Jesus of Nazareth are summoned to participate actively as reflections of our faith in the civil process.
In difficult times as these, fear and uncertainty compete to claim our hearts and minds. But we are reminded that we are the beloved children of God, and we have been gifted in love to be loved and to love. We have been raised with values that seek the common good of humanity as we strive “to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves.” Listen to the spirit of God within you, and based on your values, your hopes and dreams in being “free and beloved,” “Vote your conscience. Vote your perspective. But vote.”
Our faith is our connection to God in living out God’s will. And we have had those who have gone before us who have lived the faith and prepared the path for us to live the way of love, the way of Jesus Christ. I close with Bishop Curry’s words.
For St. Paul, the way of love, the love of neighbor, is the fulfilling not only of the moral law of God, but the way to fulfill the civil law.
Go and vote. Vote your conscience. Your conscience informed by what it means to love your neighbor. To participate in the process of seeking the common good. To participate in the process of making this a better world. However you vote, go and vote. And do that as a follower of Jesus.
Blessings,
Father William
Some have mentioned that so much written and media material is hard to understand.
What is “truth” and what is a “lie”? Fact checking is an important thing to do before
evaluating what we are reading as well as disseminating such information to others.
These are recommended and reliable sites for Fact Checking.
https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/
https://www.poynter.org/news/fact-checking/