Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

By Rev. Charles D. Alley (Chuck), Rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” [Jesus] said.
Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” [Jesus] said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31)

Anyone who keeps up with the news knows that this is a turbulent time for Episcopal churches. Locally, in the Diocese of Virginia, we are embroiled in lawsuits over property ownership with those who were our brothers and sisters only a few years ago. On the national scene, the Episcopal Church leadership seems more bent on breaking canon law than enforcing it and continues on its merry way on a trajectory that takes it further and further away from the teachings of Scripture and the practice of the rest of the Anglican Communion. Internationally, the Anglican Communion is in an uproar about how it is to deal with the North American Anglican provinces. It is indeed a dark and stormy night for those of us in fishing boats upon the sea. But Jesus is still sovereign, and his step upon the sea and his command to the wind bring calm even today. Just as for Peter, if we want to do what Jesus does, we must keep our eyes on him.

Here at St. Matthew’s we are endeavoring to do just that. Jesus in his great commission did not command us to bring peace or to maintain the structures of the Church, he called us to go and make disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We will know the peace of God, even in the most turbulent conditions, if we align ourselves with the will of God. And since we have a missionary God, we need to follow him by keeping our focus on mission.

This summer there has been a group of your fellow parishioners who have been meeting every two weeks with the clergy in order to discern what God would have us do as a congregation. This has not been a task of deciding where we should do mission, but rather a difficult and challenging exercise in discerning who God has called us to be as a mission community. This is an important and exciting time in our life together as we seek to focus our sight more clearly on Jesus so we can know his peace in the midst of the storm and follow him more nearly through the turbulence.

Although the heavy lifting is on the shoulders of the Mission Task Group, we need the whole congregation to participate with us if we are to successfully follow Jesus as a community. One of the most important elements of the entire endeavor is to stay connected to God through prayer and that is something in which we all need to participate. Please pray daily for the Mission Task Group and the congregation as we seek the mind and will of the Lord. Here is a prayer that we all can pray:

Lord Jesus, give to us, the people of St. Matthew’s, the eyes to be able to see you and the ears to be able to hear you so that we can follow you according to your way. Through the guidance of your Holy Spirit direct us to your perfect will for us. We desire to know how and what you would have us do for the spread of your kingdom in the world. Enlighten the Mission Task Group and empower us to be what you would have us be and do what you would have us do so that we might glorify you and love our neighbors. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.