Dear friends at Epiphany,
Always We Begin Again is the title of a small book by John McQuiston; it’s a modern interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict. I say that phrase, “always we begin again,” to myself sometimes, usually when I’ve made a mistake and need to encourage myself to start over again with something. The phrase reminds me that life is full of beginnings, some long-awaited and some we choose each day.
Parish of the Epiphany is beginning again in January as you welcome the Rev. Nick Myers as your Rector, starting a long-awaited new season of ministry. You will be blessed with Nick’s abundant gifts as a priest, just as he will be blessed by Epiphany’s vibrant life as a community of prayer and mission. Together, you will go places you never dreamed of before.
The interim time is an opportunity to prepare to begin again with a new leader. And yet our interim time also encompassed an unexpected season of starting all over again. In March, it felt like we had to begin again as a parish when it became necessary to close the church building and move our life together online – worship, pastoral care, classes for children and adults, outreach projects, administration, meetings. There was no way to plan or prepare for how the pandemic would upend our life together. I am so grateful to Epiphany’s outstanding staff, wardens, Vestry, committees, guilds, and groups for persevering in ministry under difficult circumstances. And I am grateful to each of you who are quietly, daily, praying us all through this extraordinary time.
And finally, I am so grateful for my time with you – it’s been a rich season for me, full of blessings and beauty. I am inspired by the depth of prayer and care at Epiphany. I will miss you. God bless you and keep you always.
Yours in Christ,
Sarah
