Casting Lots

I’m still mulling over the account from our Acts reading this morning – the community chose Matthias to be the 12th disciple through prayer and casting lots…  Since I serve on the diocesan Commission on Ministry, which helps aspirants to the diaconate and priesthood discern their calls, it just stops me every time I think about it.  Discerning call or discerning anything at all seems so much more important than tossing a coin or drawing straws or whatever the means of casting lots was…  Yet the people believed that God was doing the choosing through the results that they saw.

I wonder if it isn’t the means through which we discern, whether through prayer and casting lots like the early disciples did or through prayer and listening and conversation as the diocesan committee does, but our commitment to God and following God’s lead that is important.  Is one way inherently better than another if we trust that God speaks to us through that way?

How does God speak to us?  How does God speak to you or to me?  Through dreams or circumstance or conversation with others?  All of these?  None of these?

What say you?  How have you heard God speak?

Organizing for growth

I attended my first organizational meeting last evening – Worship group – which met at Don Gurney’s home. What great conversation we had! We kept saying it was time to go home and then we’d get involved in another topic. All in all it was very productive.

I’m so encouraged by the parish reaction to the vestry’s challenge! I hope that the meetings scheduled for this week are as productive and energizing as the one I attended. I believe that the work of discernment is best done in community. And St. Mary’s, while we say that we’re working on a strategic 3 – 5 year plan for growth, is in a period of discernment. Who are we? Why are we here? What are we going to do about it? Every group that meets to discuss the future is wrestling with the answers to those three questions.

Who would have imagined, five years ago, that St. Mary’s would be where it is today? Who can imagine where God will lead St. Mary’s five years from now?

Bringing us along

It’s time to bring St. Mary’s into the 21st century!  While working to update our website with pictures of the parish and more complete postings on our pages, I thought I’d also add a blog.  For those of you who like to communicate through this medium – welcome!  To those of you new to the blogosphere – don’t worry, it’s easy to join in!

We can share info about services and the goings on of our parish, share pictures and ideas, and I’ll answer any questions that come up from sermons or conversations.  I also hope to link all of us in to the greater conversation among Episcopalians/Anglicans around the world.