Dear Friends,
On Tuesday mornings, an intrepid group of parishioners has been making its way through St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. Our study has been uplifting, encouraging, and, at times, challenging. Every so often, however, Scripture seems to leap from the page with words that deserve to be planted permanently in our imaginations. Such is the case with St. Paul’s soaring declaration: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.”
For Paul, the indwelling presence of Christ is the animating force of his life and ministry. Christianity is not simply a collection of religious practices or traditions, however meaningful those practices may be. It is the astonishing promise that Christ lives in us and that, through the Holy Spirit, his life can shape our work, our relationships, our service, and even the most ordinary moments of our days.
At Bethesda-by-the-Sea, we are blessed with many distinctive gifts: a wondrous sacred space, beautiful liturgy and music, parishioners eager to serve our neighbors, and rich opportunities for spiritual growth through the Bethesda Center for Spirituality. We also see the life of Christ taking shape in very tangible ways: parishioners studying Scripture together, young adults gathering for friendship and faith, young people building community through Youth Group and the Bethesda Young Adults, and volunteers of Faith in Action giving their time to serve those in need.
Yet none of these gifts is an end in itself. Each is a means by which we are drawn more deeply into the life of Christ and through which Christ’s love reaches the world around us.
As we enter a new season at Bethesda, with many opportunities to worship, learn, love, and serve, I invite you to consider where Christ may be calling you to take part. Perhaps it is joining a class, serving alongside fellow parishioners, welcoming someone new, or simply carrying greater patience and compassion into the ordinary encounters of your week.
May we remember that the most precious distinction we bear is not simply that we belong to a remarkable parish, but that Christ lives in us. May his life increasingly become visible through ours.
With thanks,
Fr. Rob+