In his book, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What’s so Good About the Good News?, the Rev. Peter Gomes writes about an incident that occurred when he was serving as guest minister at a particular church.
…just as the rector and I were about to proceed to our prayers before the service, a wildly disoriented young man burst into the room. He spoke loudly but nonsensically, seemingly either “on” or “off” something. Whatever it was, though, his erratic behavior was familiar to the rector, who treated him with enormous but firm courtesy and let the little tantrum run its course. The intruder left as abruptly as he had arrived, and while I was shaken the rector was not, and was clearly used to such interruptions. As we pulled ourselves back together, his thoughtful comment was, “I keep hoping it isn’t Jesus.”
It is always a distinct pleasure to return to ECR. Vacation time away helps the heart and soul grow fonder, I must say. I’m confident that this is true not only for me but for each of us. We appreciate our community just a little more when we are apart from it for a time. Jesus calls his disciples to come away with him for awhile, apart from the crowds in order to rest and recreate themselves. Jesus spends time apart from the disciples themselves for solitary prayer and the blessings available to any of us primarily through solitude. In either case, I think the disciples return with renewed affection and appreciation for the masses, and Jesus returns with renewed love and commitment toward his disciples, because the time apart has helped all grow fonder for those times when they are together.
ECR has a heart for the present and a vision for the future. I learn this when I meditate upon us as a community. I am reminded of this whenever I visit parishes other than our own. The virtues, strengths, deficiencies and weaknesses of other parishes leave me thankful for our own. Thanks be to God that these other parishes are alive and exercising their gifts in the name of Christ. Just as each parish has gifts particular to itself, so we here at ECR have our gifts of hospitality and welcome, gifts that we exercise wonderfully, inspiringly well. Our heart is with one another and with each and all who come. People enter through the ‘door’ of the Thrift Shop, or through the ‘door’ of the Church Office, or the ‘door’ of Threads of Love,’ or of St. Lydia’s Guild, or Naomi Guild, through the ‘door’ of our Wednesday evening chapel, or through the ‘door’ of our Sunday morning worship services. And at each door, everyone entering God’s Love through the ‘door’ of ECR is given a heartfelt ‘Welcome home!’
ECR’s vision for the future is simply to open up this welcome to a greater and wider number of people of all sorts and conditions. More so than just about any other parish that I’ve met or known, ECR ‘gets it.’ Here in our present hour, we welcome the stranger and friend alike. Our Ambassadors Ministry is but one intentional expression of our desire not only to provide hospitality to the guest, but to welcome the stranger, the guest, the friend, the neighbor, and also the fellow member more fully and deeply into the life of ECR. The Ambassadors of ECR are working to put you and me in touch with ‘him, her’ and ‘them.’ In the narthex, at the passing of the Peace, at the hospitality hour, or during a class, an ECR Ambassador will introduce you to someone so that you can meet one another, and meet Christ in one another as well. For the life of ECR is the life of Christ himself, present in the world today, at this place, at this time, and within ourselves. It’s happening now. It’s helping to build our future; and it’s helping ensure that we build our future on Christ Jesus, that most solid of all foundations.
As we plan and build and expand our campus for the future, we are making sure to build up ourselves and one another in the Spirit of Christ. For it is this Spirit that we hope and pray will inhabit this place. It is this Spirit into whom we are preparing to more fully and capably invite the people all around us. It is this Spirit that enables to issue this invitation, now and into our future.
As people come, now and in the future to ECR’s welcome; as people return to ECR’s welcome after a time away; we who are here already can keep in mind the possibilities inherent in everyone we meet. I pray we have in our hearts a prayer that keeps hoping that with each person we meet, familiar or new, somehow, someway ‘it is Jesus’. For it is true of many of those who come to us, that they are hoping the same of you and me. Greet Jesus in one another. I meet Jesus here in you every time I return.
God’s Peace. Jim +
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