All Saints Gazette: From Law to Justice
Greetings from All Saints!
This week:
Thursday, 18:00, Vrijburg: Final Community-wide dinner
Sunday, 17:30, Family Eucharist
The juxtaposition of pain and celebration at Keti Koti gets close to the mystery of the cross, God’s point of greatest intimacy with humanity. At Bethlehem, God took on our humanity; at Calvary, God took on our inhumanity (credit to the Rev. Dr. Maurice Charles for that way of putting it—in a blog that unfortunately is no longer with us). Our inhumanity must be unmade if our humanity is to be healed and completed. Our church stands in the place where both things are happening, for they always happen together. And one such place was Monday’s commemoration and celebration, where at least six of us were present at various times.
Community Gathering on Thursday
This will be the final monthly community gathering with the other Vrijburg congregations until after summer. Come for good food, good company, and a conversation or ritual that one group shares with the others. Bring something to share if you can. These have been a real blessing to all who have come, so come catch the last one!
Family Eucharist on Sunday
Supportive community and connection to the divine for those with shorter attention spans (including, but not limited too, children)! It’s a full Anglican Eucharist, but shorter, simpler, and more interactive. And whatever the kids do, we roll with it. Tell the folks in your life who have kids! Come whether you have kids or not! And as always, bring your appetite (and if you can, something to share—consideration of common dietary restrictions appreciated where possible).
Over the Summer
After the Eucharist on 21 July, Sunday and Thursday gatherings we be paused until 1 September. The priests are still reachable over email and WhatsApp, and the church WhatsApp community will remain active. The newsletter will go out less regularly, but let us know of things that we should share! And put 1 September on your calendar for a big welcome back Eucharist and dinner!
Festival of Gathering
Skip the business meeting of Convocation Convention and go straight to the fun stuff (not that the business meeting is un-fun). The theme is Faith and Art, and you’ll get a chance to meet other cool and quirky Episcopalians, learn cool stuff, and find ways to help our church grow. The official registration isn’t up yet, but let us know if you’re interested as funding may be available. Did I mention it’s in Florence?
Beloved Community Corner
From Mpho: For the past few weeks in our Morning Prayer lectionary, we have been reading the letter of Paul to the Romans. He talks at length about how the law cannot be life-giving. The law, he says, points to sin by telling us what we cannot or must not do. It is the Spirit that gives life. It is a timely reading for this season. We have marked Juneteenth and Keti Koti. We will mark Pride week. We have all sorts of celebrations of diversity and inclusion. We have seen legislative wins for the ways of welcome. But we have witnessed losses too. And the problem with the law is that the same law that is enacted is a law that can be challenged and repealed. True justice, justice that includes and embraces all of us is a fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit brings peace. "Peace", as Martin Luther King Jr. said, "is not the absence of war, it is the presence of justice." Justice for all of us.
That's all for today!
Want to talk to a priest? We want to talk to you too!
Website: https://allsaintsamsterdam.church/
Mpho: mpho@allsaintsamsterdam.church
Kyle: kyle@allsaintsamsterdam.church
General: info@allsaintsamsterdam.church
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