Dear Beloved Community,
A few days ago I had a remarkable conversation with the remarkable Rev. Karen Tiegs. We were ostensibly talking about her new position as the Latino Ministries Coordinator for the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon (that’s our diocese). I say “ostensibly” because any conversation with Karen+ is going to eventually expand into an exploration of how the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives because that is one of the many gifts Karen+ has. Now, I am going to take a very eloquent idea she shared with me and probably muck it up a bit but here I go.
“You+Me=Us.” That seems like a pretty straightforward equation except: “What does it mean to become Us?”
That “Us” is about transformation. You+Me=Us isn’t about You becoming a part of Me, it is about You and Me together being transformed by the Holy Spirit into a new thing: Us. Transformation is the key. Transformation is what the Holy Spirit does on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit takes the apostles and the crowd and makes something new. The Holy Spirit creates and recreates, renews and refreshes constantly.
So, this is what I have been thinking: When we say “We” are an open, welcoming, affirming, and safe congregation of disciples of Jesus, we are saying St. Gabriel is a place where the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is constantly at work. “We” are an open, welcoming, affirming, and safe place for the Holy Spirit to take You+Me and make Us by transforming both our lives and creating something new to continue to worship and serve God and all of God’s creation.
That is an awesome mission for a congregation! To seek not only to transform but to be transformed. It means we are open to being changed and to changing as new people bring their full-selves to this place and this community we call St. Gabriel. That is awesome and a little scary. What does it mean to be a congregation that seeks to be constantly transformed? To be made anew? What about our history and traditions? Our stories and memories? What is of value if we are willing to change all the time?
The answer, I believe, is that change doesn’t mean loss. Transformation doesn’t mean forgetting. The “You+Me=Us” equation is expansive, not restrictive. Dare I say, the You+Me=Us equation is about…wait for it…pilgrimage! Haha! And you thought I had given up on this idea!
Okay, so bear with me…how is this for an idea: A pilgrimage is a quest for spiritual transformation and St. Gabriel strives to be an albergues – a safe haven for pilgrims on their quest – on our quests – and as a congregation we are an ever expanding family of pilgrims who seek to be transformed together by the Holy Spirit.
All of this is what I’ve been mulling over since I spoke with Karen+. (Again, my apologies to Karen+ for taking her eloquent idea and hammering it into an Everett+ shape.)
Now, as you have heard and read, the Vestry recently voted to add a few more members to its ranks. Supported by the steady and inspiring leadership of Robin Mullins, our Senior Warden, the Vestry is poised to launch into a season of…you guessed it: pilgrimage and transformation!
So, I am wondering…maybe St. Gabriel is entering into an intentional Season of Pentecost and Pilgrimage! Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
In the peace and love of Christ,
Everett+
