Beloved in Christ:

Being a part of the rhythms of life in so many beloved families at Calvary is one of the things I love best about being the priest here. School teachers will tell you about the joy of seeing children at the start of a new school year, and knowing how much those children have grown (mentally AND physically) and how much they have changed and matured. Clergy get to have that same experience; with families taking summer vacations and being busy with sports and fun during the summer, many times I see children in the early fall who are not the same “little” kids that they were three months earlier. This is a delightful experience, for it is our children’s job to grow – spiritually and in all other ways. The lockdown and subsequent events brought on by the Covid pandemic disrupted the normal rituals and rhythms of life for all of us, but our children experienced this disruption in unique ways – this is not news to any of us, but I know we tend to forget the impact that the isolation and social changes brought to many children’s and families’ lives.

All of this is why I am so joyful, excited even, to let y’all know that we will be training six new acolytes and have nine young people take confirmation classes beginning in August. All of our new acolytes are kids who spent some of the most formative years of their young lives not being able to attend church regularly because of Covid restrictions; the same situation is true for those choosing to be confirmed by Bishop Loya in September. The spiritual foundation of Calvary is strong. The Holy Spirit is very active here, and our children are living proof of the presence of the Spirit and of our promise at the baptism of every person that we will support and uphold them in their life in Christ. We promise this out loud; God promises this through the Covenant made by God with creation and with us through Jesus Christ.

Every child, every person, is valued and loved at Calvary. Every person is welcome here – welcome to be a part of this vibrant community whether for a day or a lifetime; welcome to wonder about and explore what God is doing in their lives, and join in wondering what the Holy Spirit is up to in our neighborhood. We promise to support and uphold each baptismal candidate; in so doing, we promise to support and uphold one another in this community, with God’s help, to become the full person God has created each one of us to be.

To God be the glory.

Beth+