Four Parting Thoughts
For the past several weeks, Christ Church parishioners have been coming up to tell me they’ll miss me when I leave. Out of a state of denial, I’ve been replying that it’s not yet time to say goodbye. I simply haven’t wanted to face the thought of moving on from this beloved community. But alas, that time has come.
Christ Church is my first assignment as a deacon. Newly ordained, I arrived here in July of 2020 to an empty sanctuary, a modest scattering of masked worshippers out on the lawn, and all the questions and anxiety any new deacon would have, multiplied by the chaos and confusion borne of COVID.
These past four years, serving together, we have accomplished much. I am grateful to all of you for opening your hearts to diaconal ministry. I’m especially grateful to Father Manny for his steadfast collegiality, respect, and trust. I carry so many wonderful memories of my time here—too many to recall here. Serving at Christ Church has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. As I go, I take with me the seeds of the Spirit we’ve sown together, along with many lessons I hope to build on in the future. And as I go, I leave you with four parting thoughts:
#1 - We are not meant to stay in one place. I mean that both literally and metaphorically. Deacons, by design, move from one parish to another. Our diocese comprises just 19 deacons serving in congregations. With more than 100 parishes, you can do the math and realize: we don’t have enough deacons to go around. But aside from the numbers, in our respective small corners of the world, we deacons follow Jesus’s command to go forth and make disciples of all nations. And so, we serve at the discretion of our diocesan bishop, who sends us to a new place every few years to be the bridge between the Church and the world and help empower the laity in their mission and ministry.
Beyond how deacons serve, I would like to suggest that not staying in one place is, metaphorically speaking, a good tenet for all of us. I hope that more than anything else, I’ve left you all with the mindset that change is necessary for growth, pushing boundaries and taking risks are good things, and we should be constantly reexamining where we are in our lives at church, at work, and in our communities, taking stock of where God has brought us and where God is calling us to be.
#2 – We do not attend church—we are the Church. As members of the Body of Christ, we are more than worshippers in pews each Sunday. We are more than consumers of the Word and the sacraments and the beautiful music and our wonderful Sunday school and youth offerings. We are the hands, feet, eyes, ears of Jesus in the world—called to live out the Gospel, in thought, word, and deed, to build God’s kingdom. When we see ourselves this way, then we care for this part of our life as much as we do our finances, our health, our careers, our hobbies, and our social connections. The Church is not a place, it’s a community—your community—and it needs you to take ownership of it and bring your gifts, however meager you might believe them to be, to make a difference.
#3 – There are no perfect churches, but…there are communities of vulnerable, faltering human beings who can help us to live into the image of Christ and be our best selves. We can stubbornly insist on getting our way and become angry when people fail to meet our expectations. Or we can choose to be in a committed relationship with our siblings in Christ, recognize that we will disappoint each other, forgive when that happens, respectfully agree in our disagreements, and find common ground to work together to spread the love of God throughout the world.
#4 – In the face of injustice and hatred, you are not helpless—boldly claim your power as disciples of Christ. God has called each and every one of us to strive for justice and peace, as stated clearly in our baptismal covenant. That cannot be done from a position of apathy, passiveness, or simple observation. It can only be done through love in action. Amid all the ugliness and divisiveness and violence of today, you may wonder what you can do that would actually make any impact. I submit that’s not the question we should be asking. Instead, we should ask: How can I use my unique, God-given gifts to stand up for those oppressed, persecuted, and silenced? What do I bring as one member among many in the Body who can collectively act to bring reconciliation to this broken Creation?
If you feel uncertain about those gifts, talk to the people with whom you’re in community, like your siblings at Christ Church. They may see your gifts better than you can see your own, and they can help you discern how you might use them. And then, be bold in taking those gifts out beyond the threshold of the sanctuary. Be bold in your call as Christians to serve those on the margins. Be bold in the knowledge that the Spirit is working in and through all the good works we endeavor to carry out.
Finally, I encourage you to take a look at the article, “Engaging the Diakonia of all Believers.” It’s something I shared with you in the very first piece I wrote for Gatherings, and it feels fitting to leave with you now.
This is both goodbye and not goodbye, as I know with certainty I’ll see you all again at some point. Though I will no longer serve alongside you, I will be looking for ways to partner and collaborate with this wonderful community. And I’m excited to hear about the continuing impact and growth of your ministry. Thank you for being such beautifully fruit-bearing, Spirit-filled members of the Body of Christ here in Columbia, Maryland.
Your Sibling in Christ -
Denise +