From the Interim Rector
Dear Friends in Christ,
As I type on this Wednesday afternoon before the vigil for Nancy Guthrie, I, like you, am aghast at the evil that stalked this 84-year-old friend, neighbor, long-time Tucson resident, and beloved mother of her two daughters and son.
In three hours from now, we of Saint Philip’s and many from the wider community will gather in the church for a service of Compline dedicated to the safe return of Nancy. We will pray, hear scripture, and light candles as people offer silent prayers.
We will be doing what people of faith have done for hundreds of years, coming together in solidarity and community. We pray for her safe return. We pray that she will be well and that this nightmare will be over for her, her children, and her friends.
On Monday, I will be traveling to the diocesan conference center and camp, Chapel Rock in Prescott, for the annual clergy retreat of this diocese. The keynote speaker is Bishop Loya of Minnesota, who will have a lot to say about the mayhem and violence that has been perpetrated by federal masked agents.
Protests against wanton brutality have spread over the country. I commend to you a YouTube video of over 150 Episcopal bishops who address this crisis all together.
On an upcoming Sunday during Lent, we will gather in the Murphey Gallery for a parish-wide sharing of how Saint Philip’s people are handling such an uncertain and chaotic time. There are different points of view within Saint Philip’s.
Our purpose is to make room for everyone. This is not a time for debate. This is not a time to “convert” anyone out of their point of view. This is a time for gathering together and sharing. This is a time for speaking for oneself while making room for others who need to speak for themselves. In our diversity, we are the Body of Christ.
In addition to the bishop’s video, I include an article from Episcopal News Service that highlights responses from Episcopalians across the country for your reading.
What to believe
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
—Isaiah 58.6
God doesn’t care how you worship.
God doesn’t care what you believe.
God cares how you treat people.
Spend your energy caring for the destitute,
advocating for the oppressed,
accompanying the persecuted.
That will be good worship. Then you will know
what to believe, as clearly as the trees know
to reach for the sun.
—Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Your fellow traveler,
—Richard
