We are taking this month to talk about our vision and values, and this Sunday I will be preaching on our value of mystery.
Each of our values begins with a statement about who God is and then moves into our response. By valuing mystery, we are simply valuing God as God is, and saying that though we can never plumb the depths of all that God is, we can know him, and we can through his good gifts participate in the abundance of the divine life.
MYSTERY - Through the redeeming love of the Son and the life-giving power of the Spirit, the Father calls us deeper into the divine life. We participate in this holy mystery through worship and community, through word and sacrament, and through the grace-charged gift of creation itself.
Each of our values also includes a collect which helps us pray into and out of the reality each of our values hopes to convey. I would encourage you to pray this collect which speaks to mystery and to meditate on the means God has given us to know him, his ways, and his people:
Almighty God, Whose Son Our Savior Jesus Christ Is The Light Of The World: Grant That Your People, Illumined By Your Word And Sacraments, May Shine With The Radiance Of Christ's Glory, That He May Be Known, Worshiped, And Obeyed To The Ends Of The Earth; Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Who With You And The Holy Spirit Lives And Reigns, One God, Now And For Ever. Amen.
(From BCP, Second Sunday After The Epiphany)
Even though we are not yet meeting face to face, June is a busy month for us, so I also want to mention a couple of housekeeping things:
1) June marks the end of our fiscal year. We want to thank all of you who have faithfully given to St. Bart's over the past year and to especially thank you for your faithful giving during this pandemic and the economic uncertainty it brings. If you are not yet participating in giving, I want to encourage to pray about giving this month and to remind everyone that in the month of June we will set aside 10% of all giving for our Benevolence and Relief Fund. If you have a need, we now have an online form for applying for money from the fund.
2) We are partnering with All Saints Dallas in an online version of the Alpha Marriage Course. It will start this coming Monday, June 22 at 7:45. If you like some sense of what to except, check out this promotional video.
Here is some info on how to sign up.
"The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions designed for couples seeking practical support to strengthen their relationships, to keep the spark alive, and to stay connected. This virtual course will start Monday, June 22 at 7:45. Please email marriagecourse@ascdallas.org to register.
Chris+