Friends and Neighbors, 

Do you know that the Episcopal Church has a calendar that marks special days to remember faithful people who have come before us? Some of them are well-known saints like the apostles or St. Francis. I am writing this on July 17 on which we remember William White, one of the earliest Episcopal bishops consecrated in the United States (1787). Later this week we will remember Macrina, martyred under the Roman Empire in 379. Saturday, July 19 is when we commemorate Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman. All of those women worked faithfully for the abolition of slavery and for women's suffrage. Our church has made an effort to remember those who have lived faithfully loving God and neighbor. 

I note that those mentioned above lived in times fraught with political divisions often fueled by religious fervor. William White was important in forming the structures that have guided our church. Stanton, Bloomer, Truth, and Tubman spoke up and acted for justice in the face of violent opposition. I can't help but think of the current political climate in our country and the world. It can be easy to listen to the rhetoric that stirs up hatred and fear. Many of us have a degree of privilege that might allow us to zone out and ignore the suffering of others. Our faith calls us to do justice, to love mercy, and to live faithfully. 

Gathering to pray, study, and serve helps shape us as a community that shares God's love. We place our hope in Christ who makes us his body in the world. No matter who is elected, or the policies of our government, we stand as a community that can advocate for the poor and those overlooked or harmed by public policies. I encourage all of us to be in prayer for our world and our nation in particular. From our payer may we rise up empowered to offer hope in the face of the messages of fear, scarcity, and despair. 

I am thankful for all the witnesses who have lived faithfully in the past. May we be encouraged by their commitment to loving God and neighbor. Our presence brings that love and hope to others. Peace and blessings as you faithfully join those saints in God's dream of a beloved community.

Peace,

Fr. John Mark