This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope and pray that you are well. I also hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July. Denise and I are excited to celebrate with family on Saturday and then worship here with all of you on Sunday.
I have been doing my best this week to process the past month's pilgrimages to Greece. In this processing, I have felt a mix of emotions. There is a part of me that is proud of our youth and our youth leadership, who took 20 high schoolers and chaperones overseas to walk in Paul's footsteps. From prayers said at the Baptistery of Lydia to marveling at the size of the ancient Library in Ephesus, they had a life-shaping experience. As a priest here, I am in awe at the good work of our youth ministry team. As a parent of one of the high schoolers, I am grateful.
Beyond the pride I feel, I have a renewed sense of community with the adults who went on our second trip. To walk with them where Paul walked was special. To stand with them where Paul was shackled while he awaited the judgment of Roman authorities was humbling. Breaking bread as friends and processing together after seeing and walking through these sites was, all at once, both powerful and a lot of fun. To my traveling companions, again, I am grateful.
It probably seems overly simple, but perhaps one of my biggest theological learnings after walking the way of Paul was that Paul and the people he spoke to were not so very different than you or me. Paul was a person with a message of hope, grace, peace, and love. This message, just as it does today, inspired both followers and opponents. This message, just as it does today, resonated poignantly with the poor and the marginalized who find in it hope for tomorrow. This message, just as it did then, challenged the status quo. In this, I found myself reflecting on the timelessness of our faith, a faith that calls each of us to the altar week after week, and then sends us out to be the hands and feet of Christ in a world that needs us. To be those hands and feet with you all is both an honor and a privilege.
Peace,
Mitch