A Few thoughts on Stewardship

I have been asked to address the personal side of stewardship, and what St Andrew’s means to me. To begin, I think of stewardship as a discipline of giving that affects our spiritual lives just as it applies to the practical needs or our church.

Understanding the spiritual discipline of stewardship begins with reminding ourselves that nothing belongs to us. Not one thing. Not one person. Not even those closest to us. Deep in our hearts we realize that all things come from God, and as time goes on, we will gradually part with everything on this earth. We gain loved ones and possessions, but eventually we are parted from these things, and that is the bittersweet truth of our human lives. In Matthew, Jesus offers a clear response to this human predicament: “Do not store up treasures on earth” where they are subject to decay, but “store up your treasures in heaven,” where they are never lost.

How do we actually store up our treasures in heaven?  We can begin by cultivating open, generous hearts that let go rather than cling. It is certainly good to give time, talent, and treasure, but that in itself is not the full measure of giving. We must also learn to use generosity to recognize our own individual capacities for compassion and love. I think this is what Paul meant when he said, “If I give away all of my possessions and hand over my body… but do not have love, I have nothing.”  Generosity is giving with love, and the cultivation of generosity is how we move our hearts from earth to heaven. I think this openhearted generosity is a gift of grace we must nurture, practice, and develop.

It is clear that the cultivation of a generous heart connects directly to the practical needs of our church. When a generous heart is present, there are no losers as our spiritual lives are energized and our church flourishes. My wife and I joined St Andrew’s 35 years ago—like for many of you, St Andrew’s has helped give shape and meaning to our lives. We raised our children at this church. Our daughter was married on the same altar where she was baptized, and the ashes of both my brothers rest in the memorial garden.

One thought in which I take great comfort is the thought that when I am long gone, this church will still be here, and I do not want her to be diminished in any way. Rather, I imagine her many years from now filled with liturgy, music, and good teaching; nurturing her children and reaching beyond these walls to care for those in need.  This promise of the future is a blessing to us now in this time of uncertainty and loss. For me this vision of the future is a symbol of profound hope and everlasting life.

So finally, even though my comments began with attention to individual spiritual practice, it is ultimately not about me, or you, or anyone individually—it is about us, collectively. So, let us come together with generous hearts and continue to build that strong, vibrant church of the future.

David Lilley

Music During the Pandemic

During this strange time that, without exception, affects everyone, I have tried to choose music that fits the mood of the times.  Sometimes we need comforting, and a lot of it.  Familiar hymns known to most of the congregation help with that.  Sometimes we need music for quiet reflection; music from the Taize community and spirituals can be the right thing.  Sometimes we need a musical commentary on serious issues of justice in our country; there is plenty in the Hymnal and choral literature to amplify Biblical admonitions.

It’s better, of course, to have the live experience.  Someday, that will come.  I long to hear congregational song and our church choir.  After all, when we sing, we “pray twice” – and it releases endorphins!

I’m grateful to the small groups that have provided music the past 6 months and look forward to once again including EVERYONE.

Brad Norris, Minister of Music

Love

There is a saying that makes the rounds on Facebook here and there, attributed to the Dalai Lama or with no attribution at all.  Regardless, it rings true: "The issue we have to deal with today is that people were made to be loved and things were made to be used, but now things are loved and people are being used."  It is reminiscent of what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has often said: "If it’s not about love, it’s not about God!"

Every aspect of our lives having been thrown into chaos, with much normal activity curtailed and priorities shifting seemingly sometimes by the hour, it can make it difficult to keep perspective on what our activity and priorities are supposed to be about in the first place.  Too often the gospel is used for political or personal gain rather than for its inherent purpose: the proclamation of the good news of God in Christ Jesus; the love of God and neighbor as self.

Life sure has its moments!  Regardless of what swirls around us, I hope the simplicity of the gospel message grounds us in love, because if it is not about that, it is not about God!

Marc

Why are other groups using our building while we have not yet regathered for worship?

Several folks have raised this question, and it’s a good one.  Here’s what’s going on:  As you know, the decision about when to regather for worship is to be made by the vestry, with the final say coming from me as rector.  Our vestry is in ongoing conversation about considerations that shape our timing, including local COVID statistics; input from health care professionals; parishioner responses to the summertime survey about regathering; and lots of prayer.  Simultaneously, we are working on a regathering plan which will need to be approved by Bishop Susan before we can come back to the building for worship.  The vestry meets again on September 15 and will continue our prayerful discernment about regathering.  All of us miss being able to worship together in our beautiful sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Marc has diligently been working with at least five different groups interested in using our Community Outreach space, and we are eager to bring that aspect of our ministry to life.  Many parishes host outside groups, and the diocesan regathering guidelines address the question of whether or not those groups should be allowed to use the building.  Churches are asked first to consider limiting or eliminating the availability of the church facility for outside groups, but if parishes decide to move forward—and I have made that decision, in consultation with Marc and with Bishop Susan—then outside groups are to adhere to the same COVID safety standards that we ourselves will eventually be using when we regather in person for worship:  social distancing, masks, sanitizing, and all applicable CDC and Virginia Department of Health guidelines.

So why are we inviting others to use our space before we ourselves come back into the building?  Because the leaders of each program have discerned for themselves that meeting in person is the right choice at this time for their programs (just as our vestry has not yet reached that decision for our own in-person worship); because the primary “clientele” of building users is children, not adults, and the risk of becoming infected with COVID is less severe for that age group than for the general church population; and because our building users will be providing much-needed services to local children and their families in this difficult time.

To borrow phrasing from Canoeing the Mountains, we are in uncharted territory these days, trying to navigate the pandemic with faith and grace, making the best decisions we can moment by moment.  Please keep the vestry and me in your prayers in this endeavor, and know that you are in ours. 

Blessings,

Anne

An Inquiring Heart

 Dear friends,

The other day I attended a webinar entitled Holy Chaos:  Creating Connections in Divisive Times.  The webinar presenter, a minister named Amanda Henderson, had written a book and was sharing some of her main ideas.   I signed up because the webinar felt timely; we are indeed living in divisive times.  And we are Christians living in divisive times, called even in the midst of great division to love not only our neighbors but also our enemies.

Pastor Henderson began by pointing out that most of us were taught never to discuss religion and/or politics—and then she noted that following that advice doesn’t seem to be helping us much!  To clarify—it’s not that people today aren’t talking (or posting or tweeting or shouting!) about religion and politics; it’s that we are not listening and speaking carefully and respectfully to one another.

One of the communication strategies Amanda Henderson suggested for this divisive time is “Cultivating Curiosity.”  I love that.  As we find ourselves in conversations with people whose core beliefs are very different from ours, she recommends that we open ourselves to listen with wonder and to ask “Why?” questions—the way a child asks those questions, genuinely seeking to understand.  “What makes that so important to you?” we might ask, truly trying to learn from the other person’s perspective.

Listening to Pastor Henderson, I was reminded of a line from the wonderful prayer in our baptismal service, the prayer that comes right after the baptism itself:  Give [the newly baptized] an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works (BCP 308).

In this time of such division, may we indeed have inquiring and discerning hearts, and the gift of joy and wonder in all of God’s works—including and especially God’s children who look at the world very differently than we do!

Blessings of curiosity and wonder to you!

Anne

Day School Space Being Used

Even under the circumstances, a lot has been happening regarding use of space in the Outreach Center:

 

Because the risk of Covid-19 remains so high, the Hilton playgroup who met in the basement will not be gathering again until there is a vaccine.

 

The Families in Transition (FiT) ministry is still planning on using space along the short length of hall.  Given constraints of Covid and inconsistencies of the families they serve in following Covid protocols, they will be waiting until later in the year to resume their work.  This will be five days a week after school (roughly 3:00 to 5:00 or maybe 6:00 pm).

 

The Carrington Institute (a tutoring organization) will be using a couple of the classrooms plus the office at the end of the long hall.  They will likely resume their work sometime later this month.  This will be five days a week, usually 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

 

Sprouting Roots, a speech and language organization, will be using the art room and space in the music room beneath the art room as needed, allowing for use of that space by other groups.  This will be five days a week through regular business hours.

 

The Classical Conversations (CC/homeschool) group will no longer be meeting in the school building.  Because of Covid, they were not comfortable with other groups using some of the classrooms in proximity.  I'm sorry this is CC's decision, but they only used the space one day a week.  Most of the other groups coming in will be using the space each weekday, allowing us to more fully realize our vision for use of that space.

 

On the other hand, the Homeschool Co-op, a new homeschool group forming largely out of the CC group (about half the number of kids) will be meeting in the remaining classrooms basically in the center of the long hall.  As with the CC group, this will still be only one day a week, either Tuesday or Thursday (yet to be clarified), likely gathering sometime this month.

 

With Bishop Haynes having exempted school building-related work from the restrictions the church must follow, we are in full consideration of the Bishop's directives as we work with these new groups coming in, ensuring Safe Church certifications, as well.

 

Marc