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Weekly Reflection
A Creation Interconnected by Resurrection and New Life
From the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge
At the Vestry meeting this week, vestry member Vanetta Lloyd shared a heartwarming story from last Sunday morning.
Vanetta often sits near the family area in the back of the church, and the children have come to know and understandably love her. On Easter, one of the kids ran to her and anxiously reported the alarming news: "Someone is sitting in your seat!"
Of course, Vanetta was thrilled by this update, and weren't we all? It's not just that the little boy was looking out for his friend in his own way -- it's that so many seats were filled!
I am so pleased to share that, with 110 of us, Easter was the biggest Sunday service at St. PJ's in 10 years. Printing way more bulletins than we needed last year yet still running out is a very nice problem to have! To have so many in community together -- worshipping God, seeing God's image in one another, and celebrating the hope and reality of resurrection -- was a truly beautiful thing. (As always, you can find video links for the service below.)
I am so, so grateful to all the members of the Altar Guild, our ushers, our musicians and tech intern, our readers and liturgical assistants, our Sunday bread bakers, and to those who made soup and bread Thursday night, and of course also to Monifa in the office, Deacon Andrew, Ms. Molly in Sunday School, Sammy our sextant, and to so many others. Thank you, everyone, for all you did this Holy Week and Easter and for all you do year round!
Of course, this week wasn't all good news. Many of us were quite saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. It is perhaps indisputable that his humble leadership and his attention to immigrants and the poor impacted the whole Body of Christ, not just the Roman Catholic Church.
Although nobody is perfect, it was always abundantly clear that Pope Francis always put others before himself as he focused on building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive church. No, not diverse and inclusive enough, but certainly more so than ever before, and that leaves a legacy for others to build on. Whether it was sneaking out of the Vatican to meet with the poor, challenging his bishops in the U.S. for prioritizing culture wars over pastoral care, or washing the feet of Muslim women refugees, he always tried to show Christ-like love to those who have been pushed to the margins (including those pushed by the church itself).
Perhaps it is fitting that Pope Francis passed away on Monday, the day before Earth Day, since he was also known for his global leadership on creation care and the climate crisis. His encyclical "Laudato Si," or "Praise Be to You," is one of the most important works of creation theology ever written. To honor Pope Francis, celebrate Earth Day, and live into Easter's theme of new life, I leave you with these quotes from Laudato Si:
"Nature is a magnificent book in which God speaks to us & grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness & praise."
"The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, God’s boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is a caress of God."
"It cannot be emphasized enough how everything is interconnected. Time and space are not independent of one another, and not even atoms or subatomic particles can be considered in isolation... Everything is interconnected, and this invites us to develop a spirituality of that global solidarity which flows from the mystery of the Trinity."
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