“Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Our parish community is entering a time of transition, as we bid a fond farewell to Fr. Kyle. For most of us it is hard to imagine Good Shepherd without his sterling leadership. At such a time, a sense of loss is a natural emotion, even as we know intellectually that there is every reason for hope.
The last six years have been a period of extraordinary blessings. No one who was here in 2020 could have predicted how our spiritual life has blossomed, and the degree to which our numbers and our ministry have grown. And the majority of us, who have joined this remarkable community in the years since, have been continually surprised at how our blessings have multiplied, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit among us.
Now, we look ahead to the process of calling a Priest in Charge. More about that process is here, and your vestry pledges to keep the parish fully informed at every stage. We hope you will stay after coffee hour for the next Parish Conversation on April 26, for further updates and discussion.
It’s only human to feel some grief and anxiety right now, and it’s important to acknowledge it. Those of us on the vestry are grateful for the feedback you have given us in our March Parish Conversation, in our regular interactions, and in your honest and thoughtful responses to our online parish survey. You have shared questions and worries, which we are resolved to address. You have also expressed a firm confidence in our strength as a community.
Now is the time to act on that confidence. How? Simply by showing up.
It’s essential that we come to church on Sunday and for special services, as often as we normally would – or more often. It’s crucial that we support one another and the community we have built and nurtured – by our presence, by our prayers, and by our participation in ministry. You are needed, and your gifts are needed, too. If there is a ministry you’ve been curious about, now is the time to volunteer! Please speak to any member of the vestry about how you can help.
As we embark on a necessary period of transition and ultimately a new era, some excellent travel advice comes to mind: When journeying to a new place, live not on comparison, but on appreciation. The Holy Spirit has long been busy in this place, working through us. We must not underestimate its power, and it’s important to be attentive to where it might lead us as we call a new priest. Inevitably, that priest will be different from Fr. Kyle. Inevitably, that priest will bring gifts to Good Shepherd that we didn’t anticipate in advance. If we are open to those gifts, later we will look back with surprise and gratitude on the ways our blessings have multiplied–just as today, we marvel at how far we’ve come since 2020.
We are grateful to those who are easing our route to that future. We heartily thank Jack Burnam for his steadfast stewardship of our highly valued music program as we await a new Director of Music, Alden Wright. We’re grateful to the Transition Office of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and for the help of numerous priests who have stepped forward to celebrate, preach, and serve during our transition (read more about them here. These priests are from our immediate neighborhood, the larger diocese, and nearby dioceses. As we have communicated with them about how they can serve us, it has been exciting to learn more about the local ecosystem of which Good Shepherd is a part. We hope you will welcome them and enjoy getting to know them.
And we are grateful for you, our parish family. We feel blessed to be traveling this road with you.
Jason Crockett
Rector’s Warden
Melinda Burrows
People’s Warden