Dear Brothers and Sisters,
After serving as a hospital and hospice chaplain, I was recruited by Fr. Nicholas Knisely (now Bishop of Rhode Island) to chaplain the Soup Kitchen at Trinity in Bethlehem. I had known some parishes that were so inwardly focused on US, OUR needs, OUR people, and, in a subtle way on People Like Us, that I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to serve a parish. And that was the excuse I used when I was trying to convince Fr. Nick that I would not be a good choice.
In one sentence, he shot down my excuse so thoroughly that it fell, flaming, to my mental floor, and has never resurrected itself since. What did he say? He explained that one of the Anglican traditions, which many of our Episcopal churches continue to embody, is the Parish Church Model of Ministry. When I learned about it and Trinity’s commitment to it, I immediately joined them. And have been in parishes ever since.
The parish model says that the church is responsible not only for the people who attend the church, it also has a responsibility for the members of the community in which it is located. As Nativity Cathedral Dean Jon Stratton said in a presentation at Gather 23 in May, “It’s all about living out your faith in context: all the people around you are your parishioners, whether they come to church or not.”
I am pretty sure that this was Jesus’ approach to ministry. He went everywhere, teaching and preaching to all sorts of people, not only to those who were near him. Had he focused simply on “his” people, he would have concentrated on the 12 disciples and his immediate family. The one time he did do that was when the Canaanite woman asked him for healing for her daughter, and he responded that he had come only to the House of Israel. Her rebuke of him caused him to re-think his mistake and turn his approach around. So much so that he went on to heal people indiscriminately, feed thousands of them and, at the very end of his life, promise a thief that he would be with Jesus in paradise.
I love it that St. Margaret’s parishioners have been involved in many different projects in the community. I am grateful that you practice the parish church model. It’s one of the things that made me want to come to St. Margaret’s after I retired from Trinity. As Deacon Jen transitions to the Cathedral and their version of the parish model, I am so glad and so thankful that St. Margaret’s service to our broader community will continue with your ongoing participation and the coordination of Patricia Scagliotti.
Ministry to the people God brings into our orbit—including the people God leads us to reach out to—is part of how I define this approach. God willing, we’ll continue to grow stronger in it together.
JOY!
Mo. Laura+
Announcements
- Many of us are shopping for back-to-school. As you shop, please remember the needs of folks who are on the streets. Mack West says they always need sturdy adult backpacks, body wipes, 3-person tents, sleeping bags, and shaving cream.
- The front doors of the church are open! Now that the sidewalk is done, you may enter either way. And the borough has finished the street as well. But we still recommend using the office door, till the railings are installed in the next couple of weeks.
- August 13 is covered, but there are a couple more Coffee (or Tea) Hour slots left to fill in August. Any volunteers?