Last fall, I shared with you the origin story of the Canadian Anglican Church where Jim and I were married. That church is also named St. Luke’s. As an emerging and barely funded parish in 1899, members cut and prepared sandstone from a local quarry to make the building stones themselves, while their master carpenter and stone mason priest worked part-time at the local brickyard, guiding the church both spiritually and architecturally.
At that time, I wrote the account out of sentimentality for my first Anglican parish, and because I thought the parishioners’ actions were both earnest and charming. Soon after I shared that story, St. Luke’s became involved with EDOW’s Next Vital Steps, and we started reflecting on our own parish origins. Themes of Social Issue Awareness and Action, Lay Leadership, Flexibility in Worship, and Youth Support were identified both by early parishioners and more recent members. With God’s help, these are the building stones that we have made.
Our next building project is close at hand, as we are preparing for the arrival of A to Z Fun Care and the reconstruction of our downstairs space. Jessica is guiding us both spiritually and organizationally, and the entire parish is contributing in some way to this change.
I am intrigued by the connection to our past, as we prepare for our future. On the one hand, “We’ve always done it that way” will not work as a default. It’s now necessary to re-evaluate what we will hang on to, how much of it, and where to store it. (That sounds dangerously like downsizing.) We are discerning our needs, wants, and priorities.
During this discernment process, simply tossing everything out isn’t the answer either. It’s a priority for us to share and find new homes for items that will benefit others. And our commitment to digitize archival records and photos demonstrates the value we place on remaining connected to our roots, even as we grow and change.
With God’s help, we continue to stand on the building stones that we have made.
-Deb Marks, Senior Warden
