Our reflection from Thomas Merton that began our August meeting focused on uncertainty. Merton states bluntly: “I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.” His words feel uncannily appropriate to our current moment as we transition from the end of summer to the beginning of fall. We have no idea what is going to happen with the pandemic. We are fatigued and frustrated, and we cannot see the road ahead. Merton continues, writing that he wants to follow God’s will even as he doubts his ability to discern what that is. He concludes by saying that he believes the desire to please God does in fact please God, and so he strives to cultivate that desire. This is the glimmer of hope that Merton offers us—even when we can’t see the way forward, we must still seek to find and follow God’s will. It is the desire that matters. We don’t know what God will ask of us in this coming season, but if we continue to desire to desire to follow him, he will lead us in the right direction, as he has always done. We can cling to that confidence as we forge ahead.
Even in this uncertain, transitional time, we want to celebrate the recent Clear the Air fundraiser and thank all those who contributed. The fundraiser was a success, and we passed our goal! Your abundant generosity is encouraging and is another example to add to the ever-growing list of ways that St. Mary’s excels in giving, kindness, and caring. Although construction work is very slow at the moment, we continue to move forward and we will get this project accomplished.
We are buoyed by the success of the fundraiser and we hold onto hope for the fall. As we have become accustomed, we temper that hope with an informed picture of the developing COVID situation. The grim reality is that the spread of COVID and its variants in Lane County is the worst it’s ever been. Admittedly, we feel disappointed by the fall’s return to masking indoors and to certain remote activities. We recognize however that it is different this time because last year, we didn’t yet have vaccines and the recommendations were much more standardized. Now with variations of vaccination, there are gradations of guidance and mixed messages that create confusion and stress. We, like you, are just trying to muster our strength and courage to do the work God has given us to do. Please continue to be patient, cautious, and grateful for what we have and what we can do.
In the spirit of gratefulness, we want to thank everyone who prepared for the annual picnic and for your flexibility with rescheduling. We will look forward to seeing you at the eventual gathering. We send a big thank you to the staff for their ongoing work and continued adaptability. You all work so hard for us behind the scenes, and we appreciate you deeply. We know that it has not been easy, and we can’t thank you enough.
Although we cannot see exactly where we are going this fall, we can look back and see the ways our desire to do God’s will has manifested and moved us through the summer months. In the interim since the last Bellringer, the Vestry has posted two updates to the “articles” section of the St. Mary’s website. If you haven’t read those, you still can. You’ll hear more about the Vestry’s summer reflections, the progress of the ventilation project, and the developing discussions about “re-opening.” Some notable thanks went to all those who helped with the June and July services at Lively Park; to the music staff, directors, and choirs as they concluded a season of virtual music; to the Saturday Breakfast ministry and volunteers for their dedication; to Altar Guild for navigating the fluctuating needs of in-person worship; and of course, to all of you for traveling the way with us. We may have no idea where this season will lead us, but we have our desire to do God’s will as our guide.
