More from Convention: Saturday (Part 1)

What a day!


Eucharist started at 8:30 at Trinity Church in Copley Square, Boston. This necessitated leaving Falmouth at 6:30 a.m. We returned home by about 6:00 p.m., so it was a long day. One of the more rewarding aspects of representing our parish is the time we spend driving together. It is an uninterrupted opportunity for getting to know each other and learning about diocesan (and other) issues. These commutes have been no different. An added benefit is the chance we have had to get to know our curate, Kate, a little better.

The Bishop of Tanga, Tanzania, the Rt. Rev'd. Philip Baji, preached this morning's sermon. He spoke of our
diocesan prayer, which engages all of us in mission as our major task. Because of the other influences of modern life (an example: advertising), God has been edged out of the center of many peoples lives. So man is living without religion. This has led to a period of 'ulitmate crisis' and thus Sending & Serving has become most important.

In the gospel passage chosen for our Convention, John 15:12-17, Jesus says He calls us not to be servants, but as friends. Bishop Baji also spoke of the command to love one another: we are sent out to love one another; not to compete, dispute, & quarrel with each other. And, as friends who love one another, we have the right and responsiblity to speak in love & truth, using mutual respect and a spirit of humility and prayerfulness as we relate with each other.

The highlight of the morning were the Sending & Serving presentations based on a portion of our gospel passage, 'and I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.' The metaphor is particularly apt: planting seeds, cultivating them, having them bear fruit, and recognizing the fruit will have new seeds inside to start the cycle again.

Seeds can be like those a gardener picks from a catalog - promises of a glorious garden to come after planting. Or a seed can be an irritant like a grain of sand in an oyster which is the seed of a pearl. In either case, with cultivation, the seeds bear fruit that lasts and enriches our life.

Three projects relating to the diocesan emphasis on reaching out to young people were shared with us as examples of seeds bearing fruit.

• Holy Spirit in Mattapan and St. John's in Westwood have created a vibrant partnership which grew out of the friendship between their rectors and has culminated in a number of joint mission trips and other efforts in Central America. (Learn more about mission trips...)
  
• After three teen suicides shook the town of Chatham, St. Christopher's in Chatham responded by creating a way to reach out to the teens of the community: a meals program where teens cook, package, send, deliver & serve meals to older members of the community. This has turned into an ecumenical town-wide program and is now expanding into free monthly dinners at the church honoring different parts of the community.(Read more at St. Christopher's website)
• St Stephen's in the South End of Boston and St Anne's-in-the-Fields in Lincoln have partnered in developing a safe and nurturing place for urban kids in the summer.
  Called 'B-SAFE' (Bishop's Summer Academic & Fun Enrichment), the program has grown to include 100 kids at St Stephen's and a new satellite location at St. Mary's in Dorchester. (Learn more...)