In last year’s April Vestry report, we reflected on the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic and pondered how to grieve our lost plans for the remainder of 2020. This year, we are thankfully in a much different situation, and we feel hopeful. We hope you feel encouraged during this time too. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and the air is filled with the scent of blooming lilacs and freshly cut grass. The trees have already shed their flowers and the sidewalks are scattered with petals. We see the dim light of dawn breaking after this pandemic night, and though it is still distant, it gets brighter every day.
In this season of anticipation and waiting, we have decided to begin each Vestry meeting with a discussion of a short passage by Thomas Merton. We see this as a way of focusing on our spiritual growth. In March, we reflected on how we cannot explain everything, and how we shouldn’t always try to find answers. Sometimes we must sit with the unknown and with “the abyss of darkness” at our core. In light of the pandemic, Merton’s words reverberate loudly, especially his exhortation to let go of our desire to understand why and to embrace the ways we encounter God in our vast interior selves. In April, we meditated on how hardship and even moments of despair reaffirm the frailty of our existence, our need for mercy, and our dependence on God. Merton writes that sometimes despair and suffering produce hope in ways that comfort and complacency can’t. This past year has given us much opportunity for hope then, and even as we seek stability, we want to continue to hope and remember God’s provision, guidance, and grace in our lives.
After our opening discussion, we continue our practice of inviting representatives from the various St. Mary’s ministries to update us on their successes and struggles. In March, the Rev. Ryan Baker-Fones recounted how Episcopal Campus Ministry has functioned during the pandemic. It is encouraging to hear how Ryan has helped the current residents (and even past residents) to stay connected on zoom. In April, Ty Z and Betsy H visited us on behalf of the Earth Stewards. They are eager to tell you much more about their upcoming projects, so be on the lookout for communication from them!
The majority of our current discussions are continuations of conversations we started in February: how we will re-gather and re-build our community after the pandemic; how to improve our building in necessary preparation to re-gather; and how to discern the next steps for working towards racial justice in our parish. We are committed to continuing the work we began last year of educating ourselves about structures of systemic racism as they manifest in our church history and (whether consciously or unconsciously) in our individual and collective habits of thought and behavior. While we believe education is the foundation for this difficult and important work, our larger goal is concrete, practical action. We do this work now amongst ourselves so that we can later bring it to the larger St. Mary’s community. We are exploring various resources and faith-based models for how to engage in racial justice work, and we plan to formulate feasible strategies for how to proceed. We will of course keep you updated on what we discover and discuss!
We want to conclude with a special thank you to all those who helped make the in-person Easter Service a wonderful success. It was a joyous occasion and could not have happened without your time and effort. Thank you to those who worked behind the scenes: Shane and Lana J, Craig T, Dick Z, Judy A, Carolyn W, John and Susan P, Marilyn S, and Katie T. We also send a big thank you to those who helped out during the service: Sharon R, Christine Z-P, Nancy C, Neff P, and Christine M. The heartwarming sight of so many St. Mary’s parishioners was indeed a reminder that dawn is coming.
