For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 8:38-39
Dear Beloved of God at St. David’s,
First and foremost, I want to thank you all. You have welcomed me so warmly to the St. David’s community. As I said in my sermon a couple weeks ago, it is my honor and privilege to serve you.
The Rev. Phil Geliebter and others cart food and supplies along the streets of Kensington.
While it is true I am pursuing ordination to the priesthood (God willing and people consenting!), I am currently ordained as a deacon, a servant minister in Christ’s church. Deacons vow in our ordinations “[to serve the helpless]” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 543). Last Thursday, I attempted to embody this vow by spending the afternoon and early evening volunteering with The Clare Project, a diocesan outreach initiative which serves the unhoused and most vulnerable in Kensington.
As you may know, Kensington is the center of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia. Every person we met was living with addiction, mental illness, housing insecurity, or some combination of the three. It was a hot afternoon and the smog from the Canadian wildfires was beginning to descend upon the city. Archdeacon Phil Geliebter, two folks from other parishes, and I walked a few miles throughout Kensington, where I believe I encountered the crucified Lord over and over again.
Phil pulled a wagon filled with water bottles, a cooler with ice cold face/hand towels, hygiene supplies, and snacks. One person carried a bag full of clean underwear, and one person carried a bag of clean socks. I carried a bag full of wound care kits. The Rice Krispie treats and cold towels were huge hits, with the Slim Jims and clean socks as a close second.
We met a woman who had survived a domestic violence attack a couple of weeks prior. Over and over again, she said how good God was, that she wasn’t supposed to have survived what happened to her, but God had brought her through it. As she shared her story, I couldn’t help but think of this week’s epistle passage, Romans 8:26-39 (one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture). Specifically, I thought about how this woman had a profound understanding of Paul’s words, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Despite everything that had happened to her, my sister in Christ had a relentless faith in God. I was truly humbled – almost taken aback – when she asked me to pray for her. If I am being honest, I felt like I should have been bidding her prayers given how mighty her faith was.
Paul’s Letter to the Romans reminds us that there will be suffering in this life. As he was writing it, his own life was under threat. Following Jesus does not automatically blot out pain from our lives, nor is it an “Easy Button” to get through the day. We are confident, though, that nothing can separate us from God’s love. As my new friends in Kensington reminded me, God is faithful.
If you’d like to learn more about the Clare Project, feel free to send me an email and I would be happy to connect you with Archdeacon Phil. It is a truly Christ-centered ministry. Friends, please do pray for those in Kensington, and pray for those who serve them.
With love and gratitude,
Anne Alexis+
The Rev. Anne Alexis Harra
Assistant Rector
Published on July 22, 2026.