Jubilate Deo

Staff meetings are Tuesday afternoons in the library of the Parish House. Anthony, Maureen, Peggy, Curt, Patty and I gather to review and look ahead. For my second staff meeting I introduced a new set of questions to prompt our reflections on the preceding Sunday and the work week building up to it:

 •  When and where did you experience joy?

•  How did the Holy Spirit show up? What did the Spirit show you?

The two sets of questions are related. The Holy Spirit is the bringer of joy. When the Spirit shows up, there is joy! Thus, we invoke the Holy Spirit repeatedly in our worship, most notably in the Collect for Purity in which we pray for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; at Holy Baptism, we pray for the Spirit to sanctify the baptismal water in the font; and in the Eucharistic Prayer, the epiclesis (“calling forth”) over the bread and wine and the congregation who will share the gifts of God.

At staff meeting, several mentioned the sacred music of the church as one of the ways they experience joy. Last Sunday the choir sang at the offertory: “This is the day, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, and be glad in it …”

That same evening I met with the Vestry (the elected leadership body of the Parish). It was my first business meeting with them, and I brought the same set of questions for their reflection. I also brought a talking stick in the form of a heavenly dove (a gift from the church I served prior to St. John’s). Members took turns passing the “Holy Spirit” to each other to share a recent experience of joy. Here are some of their experiences of joy:

•  Helping a stranger or a friend

•  Receiving care from a fellow parishioner

•  The companionship of a faithful dog

•  Respite from family duties to rest and relax

•  Volunteering to teach English as a Second Language (ESL)

Joy is a strong indicator of spiritual health and a position of strength from which to lead. After sharing our joys, we were ready to tackle the evening’s business: reviewing financial and ministry reports, looking ahead to the program calendar, taking action on urgent property matters, setting policies and procedures, discussing the need for volunteers, ways of engaging the neighborhood. Our meeting was a productive ninety minutes, and it was joyful!

How about you? What gives you joy? When and where has the Holy Spirit showed up for you? What did the Spirit show you?

“May the God hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

In joy and peace,

Greg+

The Reverend Gregory Bezilla

Interim Rector