Vitality – week 1

Church Vitality: The church vitality team is a group that has been tasked by Cathedral Committee to help our congregation delve deeper into active discipleship—–to “stir up” a fresh transfusion of excitement for being a member of St. Paul’s Cathedral by facilitating thought and discussion centered on the recent Charge from Bishop Jane to The Assembly of The Territory of the People. So the vitality team will be sending out over the course of several weeks via Claire’s weekly information emails, highlights or key points put forth in the Bishop’s Charge. We encourage all members of St. Paul’s Cathedral to read, reflect on, and dialogue on these highlights. She poses quite a few questions and many good answers. We will have an opportunity to discuss these when we come together in the fall with our new Dean.
Highlights from Bishop Jane Alexander’s Charge to the 2022 Assembly of The Territory of The
People

Week 1

1. The Theme for the Assembly this year, “Come and See”, is based on the scripture Isaiah 43:19 where God says: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
   In this charge I will tell you how things look to me in the Territory of the People right now,
   and pose us some questions to consider during our time together.
   I am going to warn you that some of the things I will say tonight are not easy to hear. But I believe that in order to move forward we have to be really realistic about where we are right now and where we believe God is calling us to go. So, I ask you to summon up some courage right now to look with me at how things stand.
2. Now stay with me here, we have to look and ask hard questions. Whether we like it or not the time to act is right now. Do not look down hearted please; I ask you to dig really deep and find the courage to say “What a great opportunity” “What a chance for growth.” You see, I believe we are in a time of great opportunity, we have the freedom to let go of all the things that have not worked and to look ahead.
3. But what we need right now is a move in our thinking, our way of understanding one another that says ‘God has great plans for our communities’. We cannot ‘decide’ to be small and to stay that way because it is what makes us feel comfortable. Christ does not call us to be comfortable.