The days are growing shorter, the holidays are approaching, and the Church Year is coming to an end—Advent is almost here.
These developments may bring a sense of urgency around endings. The Revised Common Lectionary takes an eschatological turn: themes of life, death, sin, judgment, heaven and hell appear prominently in the Propers (the collects and scriptures appointed for worship and prayer). Apocalyptic language appears everywhere, including the Gospel readings, which are drawn from the chapters that narrate the last days in the life of Christ. Jesus himself speaks of giving an account of our lives and of our stewardship. There will be judgment, and there will be reward and punishment. Jesus speaks with urgency when talks to his disciples and to leaders: God will deliver justice for all.
The Christian life is marked by a sense of urgency, but not anxiety. Yes, we worry about the things that really matter—people and planet—but we are not to be anxious to the point of distraction, overwhelmed by issues outside of our control, immobilized by fear of failure, or obsessed with perfection.
Yes, I know … it’s all easier said than done. But urgency around Last Things can be a positive dimension of faith and discipleship. Nothing gets done without a sense of urgency. People with a sense of urgency get off the couch, raise their hand to volunteer, roll up their sleeves, make a plan and take action. They take responsibility, and they hold each other accountable for following through on what needs to done to resolve the urgent matter at hand.
A sense of urgency is needed in parish life and ministry. We need to feel urgency around the worship of our Lord, the care of souls, the love of neighbor, and the advancement of our purpose as the church in service to God’s mission to the world. Being faithful to our mission means, in part, that we should have a sense of urgency around maintenance of our property and the stewardship of the assets and resources entrusted to us for ministry.
Without a sense of urgency, we become vulnerable to magical and wishful thinking, that somehow things will just get better, or that things are not as bad as they seem, or that someone will wave a magic wand, or that one person (a priest, warden or committee chair) will fix things and not burn out (by bearing the burden alone). Magical thinking is a recipe for failure and disappointment, anger and frustration, tension and conflict.
I sense that the Holy Spirit is moving in St. John’s and calling us to take up our challenges as opportunities for strengthening the governance and administration of this Parish. Below you will see an update on recent initiatives by the Vestry in response to the prolonged crisis with the boiler. Let’s not waste this crisis. Let’s use the urgency it inspires in us to make much-needed reforms by writing new policies and procedures, and setting a new vision, priorities for mission, and measurable ministry goals. We can turn a new page. Advent is almost here. Christ Jesus is calling. It’s all good news!
