Brothers and Sisters,
Last week, Alane and I were blessed, along with our congregation’s lay delegates, to attend our Diocese of Western Anglicans Synod in Mission Viejo, California. It was an extraordinary time of worship, fellowship, and training for mission. For me, personally, it was a time of great spiritual refreshment. Bishop Thad Barnum spoke powerfully about recovering our first love for Jesus. Our diocesan bishop, Bishop Phil Ashey, presented a compelling missionary vision for our diocese, and that vision prioritizes relationship at the core. Our bishop emphasized that our mission will flow from our relationships with Christ and with each other.
As you’re probably aware, this was my first synod with this diocese. I went into it without being fully aware of what to expect, as is the case with anything new and unfamiliar. In the course of my time there, it became obvious to me that something very special is happening in our diocese. The Holy Spirit is on the move in our midst in a powerful way.
I sensed the Lord at work in our shared worship, in the vision articulated by our bishop, and in the fellowship we shared.
I don’t think, however, that the Holy Spirit is only on the move at the diocesan level. I believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in our parish. I returned home on Saturday night, tired from the prior few days. Even so, I was wonderfully refreshed by our time together in worship and fellowship on Sunday morning.
My takeaway from Synod was this: The Lord is at work. I feel that’s also true of our life together as a congregation.
In Christ,
Fr. Caleb Evans