Dear Friends and Members of St. Mark's,

I suspect in some ways we will be watching each other carefully in the weeks to come to see how this past year has changed us. As I mentioned to Beverly before I got home, we can look at this as a second date for each other. We know enough about each other to be intrigued. Now we want to see if there is any depth to us beyond that 'song and dance' we first put on. We are now a little wiser and perhaps, a little more transparent. Obviously, a year is a long time and I thank you for the opportunity to return to St. Mark's and get to know you all over again. I pray that we are both a little wiser, and a little more transparent.

There are a few things that I have been reflecting on during the past year - mostly where I have been and what has been happening to the church. Part of this reflection comes from working with a community of soldiers and Marines who cared little about the Episcopal Church and a lot about whether or not I really was a man of faith. My constant prayer was that I would cause no harm to them and that I would not let them down if there were any possibility I could be of help to them.

We are a church that is increasingly being challenged to explain itself to a critical community, both inside and outside of the church. I believe this will ultimately strengthen our church community and the community around us. We cannot take our faith or our community for granted. We cannot proclaim the Gospel to the world without knowing what it means. We must not assume that the world cannot be changed by the compassion and commitments we make to one another in Christ's name. I have now served in a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and a nation-building mission in Iraq. I know that sin is deeply imbedded within the hearts of many people in this world. I also know that the overwhelming power of grace, love and forgiveness can break that hold.

At the heart of what we do is the unchanging presence of Jesus Christ, "the same yesterday, today and tomorrow." Miroslav Volfe of Yale wrote, "Hope is not based on the possibilities of the situation and on the correct divination about the future; Hope is grounded on the faithfulness of God, and the effectiveness of God's promise." He later added this thought, "If darkness has descended upon you and your world, you need not try to persuade yourself that things are not as bad as they seem or to search desperately for reasons to be optimistic. Remind yourself instead of a very simple fact: the light of the One who was in the beginning with God shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

We are that light - believe it or not. We have great authority given to us as bearers of that light through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ does not change, but I pray that we are constantly changing, so that we can be the people of God that Christ wants us to be. This season of Lent, and the days of Holy Week should take us to our knees in humility but also in thanksgiving for the great opportunity to be 'Christ-bearers' in this world. Yours in Christ,

The Rev. John A. Weatherly

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