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From the Vicar
The benefits and costs of following Christ
It has been said that our choice to follow Christ has not only benefits but costs. The great benefit of following Christ is in finding what it truly means to be fully human and fully alive. We know the love and forgiveness of God. We experience the power of the Holy Spirit - a power to live and to serve Christ's way of life. We have a sense of belonging in a loving Christian community. Our sense of mission is larger than any personal or parochial agenda.
However there are always costs. The following of Christ demands personal sacrifices. It often means taking unpopular stands on some issues, standing against things that others around you think are perfectly fine. One that comes to my mind here in New Hampshire is the recent push to okay casino gambling to raise revenue for the state. As Christians, we need to take a principled position on matters such as this - and if others don't understand why we oppose these things, so be it. We need to be working for the values that matter, for the things we believe Christ would advocate for the well-being of all people.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about what it is to fully realize the cost of following Christ in his well-known book, The Cost of Discipleship. Any of you who know anything at all about his life, know this was something he came to know quite personally and forcefully. There was indeed a cost to discipleship for Bonhoeffer - a huge, dear cost. He came to America for a while during all the difficulties that were happening in his own country of Germany in the decade leading up to World War II. But ultimately, he could not stay here. He returned to Germany and when he got there and began to speak his mind, he was imprisoned for what he had to say, and eventually executed for his beliefs and his opposition to Hitler.
While I don't think any danger that stark lies ahead for any of us, we are, at the same time, coming to a point in our journey together as Christ and Trinity churches when we must put aside "our" agendas - and let Christ's agenda, with all its costs as well as its benefits, come to the center of who we are and what we are about.
As we contemplate the Covenant by which your faithful and courageous church leaders hope we will move forward into a new era, Jesus says to you and to me, drop everything else - drop your doubts, drop your fears, drop your petty preoccupations, drop your barriers, drop it all - and follow me. The benefits will far outweigh the costs - and we will be stronger communities for having followed Christ.
Faithfully,
Fr. Chip
Some changes coming to Trinity Church's website
You may have seen in our Bishop's Committee notes a while ago a mention of changing over our web presence to a new, less costly provider. Trinity will be making its change this month. Christ Church will follow this fall. Over the next week or so, there may be a point where our web service is temporarily disrupted as this changeover occurs. After the changeover, however, you will see a new, vibrant, better-organized Trinity website that promises to better meet our needs as our ministry continues to grow and unfold. Be watching for it...and patient in the meanwhile as we get it up and running.
Notes from the June Bishop's Committee meeting
A joint meeting of the Bishop's Committees of Christ and Trinity Churches was held at Christ Church on June 18. After an opening reflection from Gordon Lane on the covenant development process and the draft Covenant to be introduced at this meeting, the group reviewed minutes and financial statements and set to work on several matters.
At the top of the list was receiving and acting upon the completed report from the Stewardship Committee on the May Time and Talent drive. Ministry chairs and their Bishop's Committee liaisons were given copies of the report, and were asked to make initial contacts with any new persons who had signed up to offer their services.
Plans are now underway for our participation in a Seacoast Convocation-wide "Come and See" program this fall. Gordon Lane and Anne Newell will represent Trinity on the planning team. Gary Dozier and Betty Lane will represent Christ Church. The first planning meeting will be held at St. Thomas', Dover, June 27.
The Covenant Working Group submitted its draft of the proposed Shared Ministry Covenant for the Bishop's Committee's consideration. At its July meeting, the Working Group will go over the draft in detail with the Bishop's Committee. In September, there will be open forums in both churches to introduce it to the larger congregations. Later this fall, each church will hold a special parish meeting to ratify it, and, if two-thirds of those present and voting approve, the document will be adopted.
In other business:
- Christ Church voted to switch over its electrical service to North American Power, a change that should result in some savings.
- Christ Church Bishop's Committee members will now be among the Sunday greeters, in the hope that at least one Bishop's Committee member will be welcoming worshipers each Sunday.
- A final push will be made to complete the electrical work in Hobbs House. A generous donor has come forward to "fill the gap" should fund-raising efforts for this fall short.
- The Trinity delegation accepted the resignation of Crystal Sexton with regret and thanks for her dedication.
- Photography dates were set for the pictorial directory. (See separate article for dates and details.)
The meeting closed with a Table Eucharist. Full minutes will be posted in each church as soon as they are available.
Are you going on vacation?
Are you going on vacation this summer? Your church family hopes you have a great time - but, before you go, just a reminder: the Church doesn't go on vacation! Our services continue throughout the summer months - and our bills still need to be paid. So please, take the time to keep your pledge up-to-date while you are away. Perhaps it is easiest to write a check before you leave, so you don't have to worry about it when you return.
Photography dates set for pictorial directory
As announced in this space two weeks ago, the Bishop's Committee endorsed our going forward with a locally-produced, non-commercial pictorial directory this fall.
Our new directory will only be valuable if it is complete. Accordingly, our goal is 100% participation. By taking part in our upcoming photography Sundays, you can help us all place names with faces, and create an excellent reference and information source for our church communities. We'll be publishing further detail in weeks to come, but for now, mark your calendar with our photography dates:
Christ Church: Sundays, July 28 and Aug. 11 after church; make-up date,
Sept. 15
Trinity Church: Sundays, July 21 and Aug. 4 after church; make-up date,
Sept. 22
Members of either church may be photographed in either location.
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