From the Rector

Dear Friends,

"Honor thy father and thy mother." These words we have heard from our childhood, and they have helped develop in us an important part of our character and values. It is important that we respect and treasure those through whom God has given us the gift of life, those who have helped us on our journey to "grow into the full stature of Christ." While they have certainly done so imperfectly, sometimes painfully so, whatever love and nourishing we received from them are unmistakable signs of God's more perfect love for us.

But our honoring those in the generations ahead of us does not stop with our parents. By extension we respect and value all our elders. They are the ones who have fought the battles, who have helped shape our world, who are links for us to previous generations. Even though, like all of us, they are imperfect human beings, we honor them for their struggles and persistence, and we are grateful to them for the love and the wisdom and the courage they have brought with them on their journeys. The elders among us are special manifestations of God's deep and fruitful love for us.

In this issue on elder ministry, it is important to note the richness that elders bring to the human, and certainly to the Christian, community. Especially in a culture that so idealizes youth, where billion dollar industries capitalize on the need to look young and to disguise the aging process, we need to be very intentional about treasuring our elders, about valuing their many gifts, about learning what they have to teach us all.

For elder ministry is not just about ministry to those among us whose needs may have grown more acute with age. It is also about respecting and learning from and establishing ministry opportunities for those who already have lived through many life experiences, so that they may be fruitful in serving others. Then are all of us enriched; then are we being good stewards of all the human gifts God shares with us.

I am grateful for all those in our parish who for decades have fought the good fight and who continue to run the race. Even as we all in our own journeys "grow in wisdom and age and grace," they are both models and encouragement for us in staying the course with imagination and grace. It is our privilege to honor our mothers and fathers in the faith.

- Stephen

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