Dear People of St. David’s,
Last Saturday my wife, Marissa, and I drove to Wood-Ridge, New Jersey to celebrate the life of Marissa’s grandmother, Connie. Connie died on Wednesday of last week. Although her death did not come as a surprise, it was still an extremely emotional day. Connie was 93 years old and had been on hospice for about a month. She was an excellent wife, mother, and grandmother. In my nine years of knowing and loving Connie, there wasn’t an encounter with her that didn’t end with, “I love you, sweetheart.”
As the clergy person in the family, I was the one who led the funeral and burial service. I preached a short homily using the portion of John 14 found above. It is one of my favorite pieces of scripture because I find it so comforting; the idea and belief that God prepares a place for us. When our earthly pilgrimage has concluded, our life does not end but continues with God.
On Sunday, I was involved in three different worship services:
- The 9:30 am Family Service held in St. David’s Hall
- The 11:30 am Holy Eucharist held in the Church
- The 5 pm Taizé Worship Service held in the Church
It was a reminder that God also prepares a place for us here on earth. God meets us where we are: whether that be at 9:30 am on a Sunday with a room full of families and children, or a little later in the morning in our historic church with communion and hymns, or in the evening for a meditative Taizé service filled with beautiful music and silence. There is something for everyone.
At St. David’s, there are many different ways we can grow our relationship with Christ. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the growth of our spiritual lives. God prepares a room for us, an opportunity to get closer to God. I encourage all of us to continue exploring what that may look like in the year 2023 at St. David’s. There are plenty of ministries to explore that will bring you closer to God through this wonderful community.
See you in church.
Blessings,
The Rev. Thomas Szczerba, Jr.
Associate Rector