Dear St. Luke’s,

A few things happened this week where someone claimed, “you should put this in the e-news”, so I decided to consolidate all of these notices into a big reflection, so please excuse this bulleted list:

· Someone went to the 8:00 am service this past Sunday unaware that they were sick with COVID. The situation is well under control, and the chances that someone was exposed is nominal. As an extra precaution, I am getting tested, even though my contact with the person was extremely brief. Everyone was had any contact with the person was notified, and I honestly believe there is absolutely nothing for anyone to worry about. This is a good reminder to please wear your mask while indoors, and to stay home, even if you feel just slightly unwell, because, even though the vaccines work, they are not full immunity and we do not want to get anyone sick. If you can get vaccinated, and you have not, I urge you to get vaccinated as soon as you are able.

· This Sunday is our big kickoff for Sunday School programming! I have been working closely with our Children’s’ ministry to get ready. This year’s program took an exceptional amount of work because between the pandemic and construction, we had to rethink everything, including where we were going to meet. Our largest group is the grade school workshop classes, and that is the group needs teachers for this class to be sustainable. If you are interested in helping with this class, please contact me at nick@saintlukeschurch.net

· We hired three people in the last two weeks! I have never hired anyone before, and it makes me very thankful for Sue Bentley’s expertise and knowledge. Mary Grace McPeek and Kristen Manous are going to be working in the nursery, which will free up parents to participate in Church and other programming. Victoria Elie was hired for eight hours a week to help with communications. She is still getting oriented, but she will be a great resource to the congregation once she is integrated into the community.

· One ministry we have put work into, but is not quite on lockdown yet is the Adult Forum. I have a number a great speakers lined up, but I want more time to finalize the schedule before we publish it to the congregation. I will be the first speaker on September 26th, where I hope I can tell you more about myself, and have a chance to answer any questions you may have; like, “what color would you paint your office”, “why aren’t we hiring a new associate”, or “how do you think St. Luke’s will change in the coming years, and what is a Priest-in-Charge, anyways?”

· Do you feel like there is nothing at St. Luke’s for you, because of your approach to staying healthy, or because of your time constraints? Please, seriously, give me a call, because you are the person that I want to hear from the most.

The biggest thing this week is the twenty-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It happened when I was going into my German class my Freshmen Year of High School, and when the teacher said a plane hit the World Trade center, I had no idea what to think or say, so I chuckled and said, “Haha, was it an accident or something?” The teacher’s grim response was a cold “no”. That interaction still haunts me today. I have heard from so many of you and how you were touched by that day, and I am still humbled how much that event still affects the world. I am genuinely lost for words when I think about it, which shouldn’t be surprising because I have been so consumed with the list above that I haven’t given myself time to let the reality of that tragedy seep in.

For nearly seven years I led a healing service almost every Wednesday at noon, and we observed every single saint day that was available. If you are not aware, almost every day is dedicated to some profoundly faithful and influential person, and even to a few that may not have existed. It was a powerful time, not just for prayer and the hope of healing, but to understand that every day is meaningful, and if not to us, it is to someone. When we entered the chapel, the day was mundane and formlessly choked by shopping lists and appointments, but at the end it was a day given over to remembering who lived a faithful life before long before we were even an idea.

This time is exciting, cripplingly scary, exhausting, sometime rejuvenating, and we are always called put those things aside to look beyond ourselves. We must take time to remember those who died twenty years ago, and if we do not, then we cannot strive to make the world a better place in our present day. The task of being a faithful follower of Christ takes on countless forms, but it always involving taking the time to put all of those worries that weigh us down before the table of God.

I hope you join us for a meaningful and faithful year at St. Luke’s.

Blessings,

Nick