Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

I’ve been doing the yearly work of collecting end of year statistics for the annual meeting. It’s actually something I enjoy — it’s like getting a school picture. It’s that once a year thing where you get a snapshot at a single point in an every changing life.

A couple of numbers jumped out to me. The first is that, since May, we have done over 500 daily services online — morning prayer and the noonday Eucharist six days per week plus the Sunday services. Today is the 46th Sunday in a row we have offered a Sunday service complete with choral music. We have done 30+ weekly Bible studies, 50+ weekly or twice weekly formation classes. We have done retreats, quiet days, and had guest speakers.

All of this and much more would have been part of any normal year. Of course, this year we have had to move online. What it made me think though is that we have done what God calls us to do in these times. We have prayed, we have spent time in Scripture, and we have studied and grown in faith.

In addition, we have relieved $4 million in medical debt, maintained our twice weekly food bank, done drives for diapers, pet food, and more. We’ve delivered groceries, helped coordinate vaccines, and helped with needs during and after the wild fires. We’ve given money away to schools, ministry at the border, and more.

It would have been understandable if we had huddled for the year — if we had kind of drawn up the gates and tried to weather the pandemic as best we could. But this is not the way we are challenged by Jesus.

We are not called to love God and love our neighbor when it’s most convenient. It’s in these times of trial and stress that we are called to be more deeply faithful to those twin calls. We love God in worship, prayer, study, and mutual care. We love our neighbor in those concrete acts of mercy and service like feeding and forgiving debts.

I am so thankful that so many of you have taken on those challenges this year — looking for ways to love God and neighbor more deeply when the stresses of the world have felt so close some days. There will be more chance to hear and talk about all of this and more in the weeks ahead. Our annual meeting begins online next Sunday with a series of videos that will be available at stphilipstucson.org/annualmeeting — then on Sundays in February we will have discussions about various ministries during coffee hour.

Thank you all for making this a time when we can celebrate and be thankful for much even amidst the changes and chances of this year.

Yours in Christ,

Robert