Advent 2002

Dear People of the Chapel of the Cross,

With the coming of Advent, my work as Orange County Missioner is well under way.

That work officially began September 16. I spent the first week saying goodbye to Church of the Holy Family – preaching at Holy Family on September 22, reporting on my time in South Africa with slides that afternoon, holding an open house the next day for folks to drop in and hear more, clearing out my office, etc. September 29, I preached at the Chapel of the Cross, in effect returning after 10 years away. I felt warmly welcomed and was glad to hear so many express support and enthusiasm for our new mission in Orange County.

In October, I settled in at St. Matthew’s in Hillsborough, beginning the first month of what will likely be three month-long rotations among the three parishes of Orange County (November at the Chapel of the Cross, December at Holy Family, then back to St. Matthew’s in January and the Chapel of the Cross in February). St. Matthew’s is a wonderful parish in Northern Orange County, founded in the mid-18th Century, with the current church building built in the 1820s. The congregation is, of course, growing, and the grounds of St. Matthew’s are beautiful and peaceful – especially in contrast to the zoom-zoom of the by-pass that rushes past Holy Family, and the bustle of downtown Chapel Hill outside the door of the Chapel of the Cross.

As the first weeks have gone by, I have been aware of how, unexpectedly, the sabbatical time in South Africa prepared me for this year – working in different parishes, preaching to different congregations, experiencing diverse liturgies, and, in addition to proclaiming the Gospel, also ‘telling my story’. I am grateful for the preparation that the summer provided.

For the next year or so, while I am traveling the county and spending a lot of time in conversation at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro, my office will officially be located at St. Matthew’s (of the three parishes, St. Matthew’s was the one with which I was least familiar and was the one that had office space to offer). I am enjoying getting to know the town of Hillsborough, and St. Matthew’s is also only ten minutes’ drive from home, with only one stoplight. My soul appreciates this change of pace!

Beyond Sunday mornings, I am spending my time developing the story of the Orange County Mission. I have led a study series on the book of Acts, with a focus on how the stories of the Apostolic Church inform our life and mission in Orange County today. I am also having a lot of conversations. Some with people who are expressing an interest in being a part of the new church, some with people who have particular skills – such as Web site development, or familiarity with Orange County, or experience with small group ministry. One Sunday each month I plan to visit other churches. In October, my husband, Lamar, my daughter, Becca, and I went to Southern Shores on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There I spent a lot of time in conversations with folks who were ‘plank holders’ at All Saints Episcopal Church. This is a parish that began as a parochial mission seven years ago. The plank holders are those who were there at the beginning and have helped to make it grow. They had a lot to tell and seemed equally ready to share stories about the good decisions, as well as some of the mistakes, that had been made along the way. It’s a wonderful church, well worth a visit if you are ever in that part of the state on a Sunday morning.

In October I also had a very fruitful visit to the Diocese of Virginia, meeting with two staff members there who have a lot of experience with starting new churches. The Rev. Victoria Heard, who coordinates that Diocese’s effort, was a veritable fount of knowledge and wisdom. I learned a lot in four hours and am still processing it all.

Out of all these meetings, conversations, and visits, a vision for the new church is slowly developing. And while this vision will continue to emerge out of the many conversations and prayers we all have in the months ahead, some things are clear. One is that worship should be transcendent – giving worshippers an experience of the sacred and that which is beyond themselves and beyond the here-and-now. That means, among other things, candles and icons rather than Powerpoint productions!

Another aspect of the vision for the new church is the understanding that the work of the church is in the world – on the streets, in our classrooms and offices, in our homes. The new church will honor, embrace, and celebrate that work – providing a community of households (where “forgiveness heals guilt, joy conquers despair, and unity overcomes estrangement” and where hospitality is radical).

It is tempting to spend our time, in these early months, thinking about the when and where of the year ahead – when will the launching congregation be ready to be launched, when will the public worship begin and where will it be. Such timing is important. But a more important focus of these next months is learning the territory, developing the vision, and, of course, prayer.

And I bid your prayers. Please pray for the development of this new church. Pray that those of us who are involved with its pre-natal care will be mindful of what God would have us do in this region of North Carolina in the months, the years, ahead. Pray that this missioner remembers to be faithful to that call. And join me in giving thanks for the blessings of support, encouragement, and good will that are the environment in which we grow.

And if, in your prayers, you discern a call to be a part of the new congregation or to offer your support in other ways, please let me know. I can be reached by phone or by e-mail at lgf@nc.rr.com. I look forward to such contact.