Next week, this country faces a transition in government that will undoubtedly bring significant change and challenge. With you, I look ahead with a mix of emotions and a sense of uncertainty about what lies ahead, and also with a sense of resolve to do what is given us to do. We are called to uphold values rooted in our baptismal covenant, to clarify our commitments and priori-ties as a parish, and to strengthen our connections to one another in loving and mutually supportive community.

Each Sunday we pray for birthdays and milestones with words that begin, “O God, our times are in your hands…” These times we inhabit are fraught with difficulty and turmoil; and I often wonder what it really and practically means to have our times be in God’s hands.