Mother Brenda reflects: “A couple of weeks ago, I was sharing a story with a parishioner about some amazing coincidences, or what we might call “Divine interventions.” As I finished my story, she nodded her head, and said, “Hmm. It’s good that we can’t explain some things.”

Sermon for Candlemas, February 4th, 2024

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

These are some of the most famous words from the prolific author Frederick Buechner. An author I commend to you!

Let me repeat those words so we can sit with it for a moment: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness AND the world’s deep hunger meet.”

Today, in the gospel lesson, we hear the story of Simeon and Anna.

We might imagine that these two people found a sense of deep gladness while dutifully following God's word.

Our listening to God’s call is evident the ways we have modified our campus so that it’s a community hub, rather than just some enclosed private space for the exclusive use of members only. Rather there’s a pathway out to the street, which has served as an invitation to our neighbors. On any given day, you’ll see someone walking the labyrinth, running their dogs, or playing with their kids on the playground. In fact, there are a number of nannies who visit with the children in their care every day.

…these supportive friendships among parishioners are important. They are essential to all of us becoming incorporated fully into the Body of Christ.  This is what will make the social fabric of Saint Andrew's even stronger. We have superb clergy and staff, to be sure. But this is a challenge for our growth as lay members of this church. And as with anything else in life, the more you put in, the more you will get out.

Guest preacher Ms. Rachel Ambasing reflects on transformation as a part of Christian life.

Mother Brenda reflects on the ways God works through the circumstances of our lives.

I’ve always considered St. Andrew’s a place of belonging. Once you belong (which is immediately), you always belong—if that’s what you want. For instance, I remain good friends with parishioners who’ve moved away or left for other reasons. Belonging transcends time and space.

So, it was lovely to see this Christmas letter from a longtime parishioner, Marydoris Powers, who moved away many years ago. But she hasn’t lost her connection to our community. It’s a letter of love and belonging, and an inspiration as well as an example of aging gracefully. It’s a glimpse of God’s light shining on us all. I hope you enjoy it! You can read the letter here.

Mother Dawn reflects on who the magi are to us today.

As we have been preparing for this annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus, a memory of two men I had the privilege of sitting with on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2013 floods my mind. They were people who weren’t supposed to know each other. One was Israeli and one was Palestinian. But because they each had decided to choose light and love, instead of isolation and anger, they joined an organization called “Circle of Friends”.

Welcome to our brand new blog! You can come here to find sermons, messages from Mother Brenda, along with offerings from the wider St. Andrew’s community. We are glad you are here and look forward to growing our blog with you.