Wednesday Word: Looking Outward

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I ran across this saying in a little periodical some years ago. It struck me as particularly appropriate for us right now.

Our pledge campaign is wrapping up and our various commissions are working on their budgets for 2020. The Vestry will be working in conjunction with our Treasurer as we chart our financial course for the upcoming year. And all of that will be presented to the congregation at our Annual Meeting.

Our bishop has, over the past several years, put forth his vision for a Community of Love in the diocese. I have touched on that in a variety of places since I've been here at Saint John's. What does it mean to be a community of love? How do we interact with each other in that community? How do we interact with those outside of this particular community? As St. Paul wrote, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

In other words, love takes work, and it often takes people looking in the same direction.

In this beloved community of Saint John's, we express our love of God and others through our mission statement to Worship, Welcome, Serve, and Encourage. Love is a verb, and so are those four words. With those four words we practice love in a variety of ways, and we practice love by looking outward together in the same direction.

In our Worship, we look outward from ourselves toward the holiness of God. In our Welcome, we look outward to those who are seeking a spiritual home. In our Service, we look outward to those who are in need physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially. And in our Encouragement, we look outward to those whose only positive interaction may come from us.

Our pledge campaign is not simply a plea for money to keep the doors open and heat on. Our pledge campaign, in reality, is our chance to individually commit to being an active part of this beloved community. It is a place where we as individuals can express our active love by looking outward together as we work to make the kingdom of God a very real presence in the here and now.

If you have not yet completed and turned in your pledge card, please do so – not so much that we can set the 2020 budget, but more so we can all work to strengthen this beloved community as we look outward from God.

Blessings,

Todd+