Two weeks ago, our fridge died. And when I say, "our" fridge, I mean, that workhorse of an appliance in our parish kitchen off Hadley Hall. That day, I made several phone calls. First, to the company from which we bought it and discovered that our fridge was 13 years old. In dog years, that refrigerator was 91 years old--a great run for a commercial fridge. When it was clear that we'd need to purchase a new one, my mind turned to working with Tony Catino, our sexton, to salvage what we could from what was inside the fridge. It was then that I realized I needed to make a few more phone calls. First, I called Winchester Rotary to let them know that they wouldn't be able to store anything in the fridge for their weekly meetings on Thursdays. Then, I checked with the women's En Ka Society to make sure they had not planned for an upcoming event as they'd have no place to cool anything. We reached out to our Sunday hospitality team to warn them of the need for new summer punch ingredients. And, finally, I connected with AA and had to share the very bad news that they'd need new milk and cream for the sacred evening coffee at their meetings. The dead fridge reminded us how alive the parish hall can be with our community partners.
A new fridge is on its way and with it, my hope that more people will be using it. There is room here for AA, En Ka, Rotary, and so much more. This summer, the vestry has approved the formation of a vision team to work with me to begin imagining a process where we, as a parish, will explore how we can use our building to engage the needs and gifts of the surrounding communities. We are just beginning, and it will likely take us some time before we are ready to jump into imagining what is next here at Epiphany. But, for now, it's a blessing to be reminded of the partnerships we have, the ways we use our space, the life we share, and that what's important is not the soured milk, but the people we love and serve who come here for connection, commitment, and community.
See you on Sunday,
Nick
