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I remember well the moment of my confirmation, on bended knee upon the cathedral’s stone floor. It felt like a “thin place” and time, where the veil between heaven and earth was more permeable, the presence of God more near. I want to invite you to be confirmed at Christ Church on April 18th by Bishop Philip Jones.

Who can be confirmed?

I was recently asked to imagine my retirement party. Retirement? . . . I haven’t given it much thought. Well, here’s what I was asked to do: “imagine what you might want someone to say at your retirement party about your intimacy with God.” Four phrases that summarize the core of my devotion came immediately to mind: Jesus Christ, the cross, Sabbath and God’s Word. But then this image came to mind, which I’ll share with you.

No one stands alone, not even the woman caught in adultery, who was brought before Jesus to be stoned (John 8). She was publically shamed by men who had no concern for true justice (where was the man involved?). Many of us once suffered a similar sense of condemnation, or maybe still do. In a congregation our size, we are bound to have those who know firsthand the shame and condemnation of sexual sin, adulterous affairs or other parts of our past that hang over us like a dark cloud.

The spotlight shines on two of our core values this Sunday: Generosity and Changed Lives. This Sunday we celebrate the generosity and grace of God in our lives as we make our financial pledges.

Join us this Sunday to welcome Bishop Geoffrey Rwubisisi of Rwanda. Christ Church is part of the global Anglican family, with 70 million members worldwide. We have a special connection to the Anglican Province of Rwanda, however, which launched the Anglican Mission in the Americas ten years ago. Bishop Geoffrey will worship with us and speak about the power of the gospel that changes lives and changes our world.

Sunday’s worship in our new space was magnificent! Many thanks again to all, both staff and members, who have responsibilities on Sundays and are adapting your ministries to our new location. I’m so thankful, not only for a job well done, but especially for the cheerful and servant-hearted attitude of all. As wonderful as worship was Sunday, let’s face it: growth and transitions can be hard.

You might be wondering, "Why is there a picture of New York City in this update from the Anglican Mission's Winter Conference in Greensboro, NC?" It's because a forecasted heavy snowstorm convinced us to get a flight out of Greensboro last night so that we would not risk missing the celebration of our first service at the TexFed this Sunday.

Update from the Anglican Mission Winter Conference
 
Greetings from Greensboro!

I’m writing to you from Greensboro, NC, site of the 10th Annual Winter Conference of our national extended church family, the Anglican Mission in the Americas. Christine and I, with Nancy Scammacca and four other Christ Church households have come to worship, learn and connect with other creative missions and churches. Last night (Wednesday) we worshiped deeply in the opening service, where we heard from the Archbishop of Rwanda, Emmanuel Kolini. All the clergy renewed our vows to proclaim the gospel, administer the sacraments and uphold the historic and biblical faith in our ministry.

The apostle Paul teaches us to “mourn with those who mourn; and rejoice with those who rejoice.” The call to follow Jesus is a call not only to deep joy and freedom, but also to join in solidarity with the suffering. While we have a major event in our church life this month (the relocation of our Sunday worship) there are several current issues that compel us to look beyond ourselves. CliffNotes is a bit lengthier this week, but I believe it’s worth our time.