Dear St. Luke’s,

I am unbelievably thankful.

Two years ago, I celebrated my first Easter Vigil with you. Because of the pandemic, it was all outside, and I did not recognize most people. It was a joyful occasion, but everyone mostly kept their distance. There were a few baptisms, which were wonderful, and I felt thankful for the ability to be with you in person as we ushered in Easter. The next morning, we broadcasted the last service, and I went home feeling “done”. There was nothing pressing on my mind when I went home, and I enjoyed Easter Monday at home.

This year is different. I have made it a point to know everyone’s name as quickly as I can, and I’m not batting 1000, but I’m also not that far off. You all, even you very new people, feel familiar in a way that you simply did not two years ago. My first nine months at St. Luke’s (during the pandemic), things were closed and cluttered. The narthex was used for storage, and it was remarkably rare to see anyone other than staff and essential Sunday volunteers within our walls. There is always room for improvement, but things are looking tidy and well kempt, the parish hall has been renovated, and our campus is abuzz with activity. I am overjoyed that things are simply happening on their own. People are showing up without letting me know and getting stuff done. As I speak, a small group is doing a deep clean of the kitchen. I didn’t know it needed it, but it apparently did, and I am thankful people are taking ownership.

As we are riding the wave into Easter, I have a lot on my mind. We are exploring the possibility of starting a yearlong pilot curate program. There is the work day that I am super excited about on April 29th. The soft space is way more successful than I thought it would be. How are we going to adapt and lean into this new thing, while integrating it into the Church? We are going to be serving breakfast on Sunday morning during the season of Easter in addition to our normal worship and programming. The water damage on the ceiling of the Church is going to get fixed. Hopefully, we’ll being doing a ministry fair at some point this Spring. What about the parish picnic? It’s going to happen on June 4th, and I know it’s going to be wonderful, but right now I have no idea how it is going to happen. There is so much to do, and there will be a lot on my mind as I take a little break after Easter, for which I am very thankful.

Doing Church can feel exhausting, because ministry never done. There is always the next thing to plan for, and the more you use things like the kitchen or the playground, the more maintenance they will need. If we are successful in ministry, we will not be rewarded with downtime, but unexpected consequences of more life in our community. I hope I never have another Easter Monday like I had two years ago, where I could go home and completely forget about what’s next in our Church home. Part of being alive is always having another task to do, and a sabbath isn’t enjoying an absence of work to do, it is about taking a break from what will always be there.

I am very thankful that we will celebrate the resurrection together on Sunday. I am very thankful that I will have a day to catch up with my family. I am very grateful that I will come in on Tuesday with many wonderful things to worry about.

Blessings,

Nick