The thing I like most about our attractive labyrinth on the grounds is the monolith rock in its center. A monolith is a symbol used in many of the world’s faith traditions to evoke the sacred. In the Christian tradition, God brought forth living water out of the rock to quench the thirsty in the desert wandering in search of a promised land, while threatened by the powerful and the violent and unscrupulous.

As a parish in a border state, we know there are people near at hand who risk everything to try to enter our country, hoping for more here than the places they have left.

Parishioners will see how to approach this differently as a legal and public policy issue, and we can hope to invite civility as we struggle to find the best way to address challenging questions rooted in differing visions. But we cannot see the people affected differently as followers of Jesus.

Jesus told us to visit the prisoner, give water to the thirsty, and feed the hungry, and to welcome “the stranger,” or a more literal translation would be the “non-citizen,” or the “alien. In other words, the love of God and humans calls us to treat the unfortunate with respect and help, to help them find safety and a better future. We are working together to grow in love, respect, and service as a parish community.

I asked you to suggest names for a newsletter vehicle to allow more communication to the whole body than the bulletin or weekly email can afford. One person suggested that we not have a cute name, another suggested calling it “St Pete’s Peeps,” a slang term for people you like and feel close to. After prayer and reflection, I am going to suggest we repurpose the old ‘parishioner of the year award’ as a common quest for looking for where God is active in our midst, and who we see being Christ’s hands and feet. Tell me what you think.

Jesus said he was the living water of God to come from the rock. Early Christians saw Jesus as the “cornerstone” upon which his followers become a temple of “living stones,” in whom the Holy Spirit expresses the crucified and risen life of Jesus for the shared in God new life for the world. Jesus called Simon the nickname, “Peter,” or “Rocky,” and I hope a newsletter termed “The Spirit of the Rock” invites each of us to drink of the same Spirit, serve the same Lord, and share a common mission, expressed differently, to build the kingdom of God., and the holy relationships that carry us forward into greater vision, life, and service.

May each of us experience the Spirit of the Rock, and express it in living our faith out in love.

In Christ' s love,

James
jamesrhodenhiser@gmail.com