To Seek and Serve God in all Persons

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger people for the living of life! Do not pray for tasks equal to your gifts. Pray for the gifts to meet the work in front of you! Then the doing of your work will not be the miracle. But you shall be the miracle. And every day you shall wonder at the grace, mercy, love and power that has come from God through you into the world.

Dear Siblings,

When I was serving in Texas, I often encountered the words above. They are adapted for our times from writing by Phillips Brooks, a priest and bishop who served in Massachusetts in the years following the Civil War. (Brooks penned the Christmas hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem.)

These updated words are preamble to a blessing that Bishop Andy Doyle of Texas almost always offers at the conclusion of liturgies.

Serving progressive parishes in a blue city within a dark red state, I was readily aware of how much I needed it to be true. Always mindful of tension between our core commitments of faith and the wider culture that had us surrounded. Over time, the words, prayers, and blessing for the work got deep in my bones. I am so grateful for that gift.

This week we have entered into a difficult time, particularly as a parish in solidarity with many members and neighbors who are immigrants and LGBTQ+ folk. In truth, it is a hard time for almost everyone: a disorienting, overwhelming, frightening. We find ourselves with less power and agency than we’ve known in a lifetime in this country.

During the last few days, I’ve been leaning hard into Bishop Doyle’s exhortation and the prayers that flow from it—that God will give me and you and us the gifts, strength, courage, wisdom, tenacity, and the love to undertake the work that comes to us.

I believe this is a prayer God faithfully answers. God will help us as we continue to do as we promise in our baptismal covenant: to continue in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers; to resist evil; to proclaim in word and deed the good news of God in Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. These are enormous promises to keep, and we’ll need divine help and guidance to accomplish them.

There will be more to share soon about planning and organizing that is underway to prepare for the needs and challenges ahead. For now, let us pray that God will bring miracles of grace into the world through us, one day at a time.

With you,

The Rev. R. Scott Painter
Email: scottp@stmaa.org

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