To start you off on your Summer, consider this reflection entitled “wings of steel”. You may have seen it before; but it bears repeating.

Wings of Steel: A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So, the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. It would then be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. We could never fly! This is true for us as individuals and true for us as a community of faith. This interim period is somewhat like the struggle of the emerging butterfly from the cocoon. It is a process which cannot be rushed; and it is a time when it feels like a struggle just to gain a bit of what we might think of as progress. However, I can assure you that the work of this interim period is important work; which, when done patiently and prayerfully will yield a wonderful partnership between the parish and the new rector. Over and over in the life of a parish there are periods where we cocoon in safety and times when we must work to emerge and fly with strong wings always guided by the Holy Spirit.

In this interim period, the parish has also faced a number of losses. These losses have been both a loss of community as many people have yet to return to in-person gatherings and the loss of long-time members of the congregation due to death. Perhaps it is also helpful to remember the cocoon and butterfly when we think of these changes; because these losses force us to face the pain of grief and the struggle to look forward to a future which builds on the gifts of those who have died. As a parish, you are now struggling, working and growing to prepare to finish breaking out of the cocoon so that once again the metamorphosis will allow for flight on strong wings of steel.

May the desires of your heart come true, and may you experience God’s presence everyday as you work for God’s kingdom.. May Goodness, Kindness, and Mercy come your way. And, may you gain Wisdom and grow in your faith every day.

Have a blessed day.  Mother Pat+

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I hope you find these short reflections meaningful and helpful. The focus during this interim time has been on our baptismal vows and our common life together; because that is our call as Christians. In this interim time (this transition time), you and I journey together toward a common goal. What is that goal, you might ask? The goal of a vibrant worshiping community at St. Matthew’s who come together to be equipped in order to go out and make Christ known in the world. During this interim time, you as a parish seek to discern your core values and to honestly evaluate your gifts and your challenges; and then you build a profile (a story) of who you are and who you seek as a permanent Rector. As I have said to many of you, this is a time which feels unsettled and uncertain in many ways because you are being invited into a period of change and change always feel uncomfortable even when it is change that we want.

Layered on top of this leadership transition has been the recent losses of long-time active members of this parish. These deaths have reminded us of the ever-changing nature of our common life together and of our need to share in community giving support to each other. In addition, we likely will face increased economic uncertainty which often adds to our sense of anxiety and challenge.

I came across a metaphor the other day and I thought that perhaps this imagery might help as we continue to journey in a time of change and in a world which often feels unstable to us. The metaphor is that of paddling a multi-person canoe through rapids. Think about it – in a canoe you have a few objectives. First, keep the canoe pointed in the right direction. Second, avoid immovable objects like rocks and trees in the water. Third, synchronize with others in the canoe.  And lastly, Keep paddling. Those steps can help us as we continue this journey together.

The Vestry and I help the parish stay pointed in the right direction and avoiding those obstacles which could take us off course. And of course all of us are in the same canoe – paddling together toward St. Matthew’s common goal to continue the incarnation of Jesus by serving, caring and witnessing to the presence of  Christ. We also focus and paddle together in the Diocese to create an ever-widening group of joyful committed Christians who seek to know Christ through worship and service. In addition, the search committee seeks to take an open and honest look at the successes and challenges St. Matthew’s has encountered and to help point to a place where the rapids end and the river moves smoothly again. But in the interim, we all have to work together to achieve the goal.

Come and join in worship, study and service so that you are equipped to make Christ known in the world where you live; and contribute your voice and your ministry to St. Matthew’s now and in the smooth waters to come.

May God’s joy be yours this day, Mother Pat+

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Here we are in the 5th week of the Easter season, and we find ourselves searching. In this season many of our readings have Jesus searching for us and in other Sunday readings we are searching for Jesus. As a parish, St. Matthew’s is in the midst of the search for a new rector, so I thought perhaps we should reflect on what it means to search and what happens when we find what we seek.

When we search for something, we have some idea of what we are looking for, but often in the very process of searching we discover that we really need something else. For example, the early disciples sought the risen Jesus because they still wanted the familiar companionship of his presence at the table and on the road. The disciples wanted it to be like it was before the crucifixion, but that was not to be. Jesus clearly tells Mary Magdalene in the garden that she is not to cling to him or try to hold onto him, because things are different now. Jesus is no longer bound by temporal time or earthly boundaries; and yet the disciples would like things to return to the way they were. We all like things to return to whatever we think is “normal” or the way they were before the disruption or change; but that is not how it works.

Jesus will soon ascend back to the Godhead forever and the disciples will have to learn to walk in faith in a different way – no more surprise visits by the risen Jesus in the upper room or for breakfast on the beach. Jesus will ascend and will send the Holy Spirit to serve as that constant reminder of God’s presence in their lives – nothing will ever be the same again and the disciples are just beginning to discover that reality as they search for Jesus and wait for the power from on high which Jesus promises them.

St. Matthew’s is also searching and in the discernment process, you as a parish have discovered that what you thought you wanted and needed might indeed be different than the familiar things of the past. In your searching for a new rector, St. Matthew’s may discover new ways to work for God’s kingdom. You have been praying for God to lead you to the person whom God has also called to look for you. Through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, you will find new ways to share ministry and leadership and to build God’s kingdom in this place.

So keep searching for what God wants you to see and to do. Be open to God’s surprises in the people you meet and in the work God calls you to do. God’s Holy Spirit will guide the nominating committee, the vestry, and those God will lead to this place. Searching is a part of how God reveals God’s self to us – God continues to seek us out and we continue to seek God. May your life and the life of this parish be filled with Godly surprises. Mother Pat+

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