It’s been said that God calls each generation of Christians to interpret the Gospel to the world around it in its own day. Given the pace of our 21st century world, perhaps it is now better said that Christians are called to interpret the Gospel afresh every year. May this Happy New Year find God calling and equipping the people of God for a fresh new start in bringing to neighbor, friend, and stranger the Good News of the Love of God for all in Jesus Christ. May this be especially true for all of us here at ECR. Amen.
This is a year that ECR will begin acting to realize its long-dormant full potential. Over the past several years, the Vestry, the Ministry Leaders, and I have addressed ways to set ECR free to shine more brightly as a beacon of God’s light here in North Central Austin. We’ve shared with everyone at ECR the progress of this study of our needs, limitations, and options. All of us have read and heard of the demonstrable need here at ECR for additional classroom/meeting space, and for additional parking. After several years of working steadily through a process of learning and discernment, the urgency of the need has made clear that the time is upon us now to act. We have come to realize that there really is no practical way to bring more people into the life and ministry of ECR until we create more parking space visible from Justin Lane.
This demonstrates that 2008 is also a year rich with challenge. More parking spaces means more cars bringing more people here to ECR. On the surface of it, it sounds only good. But the reality is that ‘new’ people bring ‘new’ ways, and ‘new’ ways means change. Simply seeing unfamiliar faces, hearing unfamiliar voices, and finding that we don’t know the names of everyone here at church anymore – these are changes that can disturb and even distress us.
Yet, we know that these changes are positive, because they mean that more people will be experiencing the blessings that you and I already know. More people will be meeting God and growing in relationship with God. They’ll be discovering the joys and beauties, the liberties and responsibilities of being Episcopalian. And as they are blessed, so also will we be blessed, as well. Additional challenge lies in the real costs of creating the parking lots necessary to increase our ability to make the Gospel accessible to more people. You and I will need to find, raise, contribute, and/or borrow all the money required to accomplish it. It’s likely that we will find some grant money available from either the diocesan center in Houston and/or from the national headquarters at the Church Center in New York. But the bulk of the responsibility will be ours.
So, there are two things that I wish us all to know: First, while these changes are absolutely necessary, they are necessary not in order for ECR to survive, but for ECR to thrive. They are necessary in order for ECR to honor the mission to which God is calling us. The potential for ECR is enormous, but remains hindered by a campus that projects an insular community. Yet, you and know we are in fact not at all disinterested in the world around us. We care about people who need to know that God’s Love is available to them, that God is reaching to them, and that we here at ECR have found God’s Love for us and we celebrate it every week, and we share it every day.
Second, while the financial aspects of meeting ECR’s needs both immediately with the parking lots and over the next few years with the construction of an additional building, are initially imposing, nevertheless, they are within our ability. Throughout the fifty-plus year history of ECR, it is clear that God has always helped this parish find a way forward. Whenever we are acting from our faithfulness to God, God proves faithful to us. God will provide.
ECR has a history of responding to God’s call, and this year finds ECR responding again, to move our witness and ministry forward in ways that will guarantee growth in ECR’s ability to offer God’s love, growth in ECR’s ability to share the knowledge and love of God with one another and others around us, growth in the numbers of people worshipping God here and serving others in God’s Name. The happy new year of 2008 will find us here at ECR interpreting the Gospel to one another and to the world around us through our renewed invitation to come here, really come here, and share with us God’s Love for all.
God’s Peace - Jim +
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