Alleluia! Christ is risen!

How are you serving God? This question lies at the heart of our baptismal covenant. Service shapes our mission as the Church: to restore all people to unity with God and one another in Christ (BCP, 855). We live this mission through worship, proclaiming the Gospel, and promoting justice, peace, and love.

Discerning how we serve can feel overwhelming, as service requires commitment of time, talent, and treasure. As we approach the Feast of Pentecost, this question becomes especially important. Pentecost reminds us that, through the Holy Spirit, the Church is united in mission despite differences of language, culture, and people. The Spirit enables us to understand one another and equips us to move forward together in hope.

So how are we, individually and corporately, enlivened by the Spirit in our service to God? I invite you to prayerfully reflect on this question and to ask the Spirit for guidance. You may find the following prayer helpful:

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin and have raised them to new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and persevere, a spirit to know and love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen. (BCP, 308)

May the Spirit guide, sustain, and inspire us in all that we do.

Peace,
Fr. Doug