. . . Let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 291)
The Rt. Rev. Dena A. Harrison rededicated our buildings to the glory and service of God in a joyful celebration on July 26th. We give thanks for her presence among us and for the contributions of countless members and friends of Grace Church that made that day possible. The above phrase from our Book of Common Prayer has become the manifesto of Grace’s leadership as we have worked to rebuild our church.
Let the whole world see and know –
Our Rededication and Confirmation service did that and more. God’s blessings abounded in the spirit of those that gathered, in the liturgy of the service, and in the joy of the occasion.
That things which were cast down are being raised up and things which had grown old are being made new –
So much of what we had built and maintained for decades was cast aside by Ike. Not only was Grace Church damaged, many of us had significant losses of personal items and property in the storm. It was easy to be overwhelmed by the devastation and to be unwilling to start over. But we have been blessed by friends that have offered to help, by dedicated volunteers that have flocked to our island, and by the support of our Diocese; and things are definitely being made new.
And that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
One of the blessings of Hurricane Ike is that it brought the community of Grace Church closer together. We were all given an object lesson of our gospel teaching about the need and purpose of gathering as the Body of Christ for support and worship. As we celebrate and rededicate our buildings and ourselves to service in Christ, we give thanks to God for each other and above all for the sustaining love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Paul+