Dear St. Luke’s,

Tuesday marked my eighteenth month with you, and that is when all of the signatures were gathered on my Letter of Agreement officially making me your Rector! The nameplate for my door is in the mail, and we are all super excited. It has also made me think about all that has changed in the past year. The new parish hall is stunning, the grounds are slowly improving, the narthex is no longer used for storage, and the building looks lived in and cared for. All of these changes energize me, not only because I like things to look nice, but also because I imagine all of the people who will fill those spaces and the Easter eggs that will hide in the flowers that we plant. We have seen an influx of new people in the Church in the last year, and now it is time to start investing in the people of St. Luke’s.

Way back in the day, a teenager name Charlie Johnson lived in this area and was looking to try on a different Church, and walked to St. Luke’s on a Sunday morning. He eventually became a devout Episcopalian, went to Seminary, had an incredible career as a priest, and to top it off, he is the father of our own vestry member Paul Johnson. He died in June of 2019, and among the sacred things he left behind was the communion set he would take to visit the sick and homebound. This past week, Charlie’s wife, Ginny Johnson, donated the set to St. Luke’s, and it will be used for the same sacred purpose.

When Charlie was getting ready to attend Seminary, St. Luke’s gave him a small scholarship to help pay for the cost. They literally invested in his spiritual future, but this sum was more or less symbolic. They had already invested in his future in a much more significant way. They gave him a spiritual home where he could make new relationships, discover more about himself, and deepen his faith. St. Luke’s has now gotten a tangible return on that investment in the form of the communion set. This set is incredibly nice, but much like the scholarship that Charlie received all of those years ago, this gift symbolizes something deeper.

Charlie’s communion set would not have existed if he had not walked through those doors all of those years ago and found somewhere he could call home. Since then, the physical building has changed, and all of the people are different, but I believe this kit is returning to find that the same spirit still lives here. When Churches work well, somehow the community becomes greater than the sum of its members. Every new face and a new connection is an opportunity to deepen our knowledge and ministry while we strive to be Christ-like.

The pandemic was hard, and we are still finding our new normal. We have done an incredible job of bringing ministries back together, but we are still missing many opportunities where new members can simply sit and get to know one another. Meals, games, working projects, and classes are all essential for making sure we are ready to welcome people home. Keep an eye out as we plan for next year, and let me or anyone on the vestry know how you want St. Luke’s to be your home.

Blessings,

Nick