There are various ways in which we mark time. Some people follow the actual calendar which starts a new year on January 1. In the Episcopal Church, we sometimes mark new years with the beginning of Advent the first week in December. While those are important dates, we truly begin our church year with the return of our children to school and the end of summer vacation. It is also the beginning of the new program year for Christ Church.
Last year was our year of building together and embracing our identity as the Body of Christ. You may recall the wonderful ways in which we lived this out. We had new Adult Education offerings; we celebrated All Saints Day with a mammoth service followed by a picnic and a glorious successful fund raiser for outreach; we raised our average Sunday attendance by more than 12%; we lived within our budget, we confirmed the largest confirmation class in our history (55 people); and much more. This was a very joyful and fulfilling time. However, we need to remember that our journey in Christ is just that; a journey not a destination.
So this year our journey continues. The clergy and staff of Christ Church have decided that a focus is needed for our journey this year as well. As a community, the Body of Christ, we must know the way in which God is calling us now.
How do we do this? The Apostle Paul may have stated the task at hand most clearly in his Letter to the Romans: “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” (ESV, Romans 12:5-6a) The first step seems to be to know what we are called to be a part of the community and to contribute to that community. We do this by discerning our spiritual gifts with the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, saw that our diversity of gifts was a good thing. We need to learn our gifts and then we need to use them for the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in the church and the world. In a very real sense we become who we are by living into what we are. We are called to know our spiritual gifts because those gifts allow us to live in to our being as the Body of Christ. As we discern our gifts it follows that these are to be used to love God and love our neighbor.
This year the clergy and staff of Christ Church will focus on discerning and using our spiritual gifts. This will be done with a series of classes for all ages, regular preaching on the topic and leading by example. Welcome to:
The Year of Romans 12:5-6a
“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” (ESV)
“Living into the Body of Christ, Loving God and Loving our Neighbor.”
By discerning gifts
By participating beyond Sunday
By being community seven full days not one in seven.
