September 22′ Rector’s Message
Jesuit priest James Martin speaks of prayer being a long loving look at the real. Perhaps he was quoting someone else, however when circling around what it is we are doing when we pray as a community or individually, a long loving look at the real is an impactful description of something that isn’t wishing on a star or repeating a formula. I imagine this almost like myself and God sitting across the table from one another, with all that is real and hard and lovely on the table between us. I also imagine it as persons on a walk in the world with God, urban, suburban, shoreline, wherever it may be and God and you are paying attention together to all that is around (both materially and metaphorically). Each month we prepare for you the Prayer During the Day bulletin, a method through which you might make that long loving look at the real with God. Each month it is different, usually tied to the church seasons or sometimes to the life of the world. In September the focus is on readings for Labor Day and Michaelmas (St. Michael’s and All Angels). This is a chance to regularly share time with God considering both the value of one anothers toil and the realms of presence and message that are just around the corner from our everyday sight. We no longer mail them out every week, however, they are available for download on our website (and few printed and available on site). Each of us who follow Jesus and seek his reign are called on to make daily prayer a part of their life. PDD is one way that CCRP supports your life of prayer beyond the property.
September and October are seasons when we are especially focused on meeting the community, sharing with them some love and joy and hope. Little delights like the back to school blessings and community fairs, tremendous occasions like preparing for the Pumpkin Patch. I would love your help with our table at the Victorian day and Ridley Homecoming: because we are not just the property or the staff. CCRP and its loving witness to Jesus is through you. I would love your presence with me as we pray for teachers, students, and administration, and parents, as another school year begins: CCRP supports lifelong learning and knows how hard all those educational experiences are. If you can help with any of our out in the world days, days of connection and play and prayer, please let me know. We are good news, we are growing into more good news – and the neighborhood can use some good news.