Good morning. I’m James Humphreys, a member of the choir, the vestry, and a pledging member of St. Philip’s since 2005.

When John asked if I would speak today, his suggestions included telling how “embracing your spiritual center helps you to minister to or serve others.”

Before moving to Tucson, Soame and I had been active members and leaders in our small congregation in College Park, Maryland. I thought I was pretty far along my spiritual path, but the move away from that community allowed new emotional space for other feelings to arise; feelings of inadequacy, doubt, and uncertainty about how or if my spirituality would be expressed. Like many of us, I struggle along in my spiritual growth. I knew I’d go to church and pledge, but not who I would be in this new community. I want to talk about how my journey has been encouraged, empowered, and supported here at St. Philip’s.

When we moved to Tucson from the DC area, our year-long preparations included researching the Episcopal churches in the area. We viewed the websites and looked at the activities of each parish, mission statements, and other items that would give us an idea of that parish’s values and concerns. We were blown away by St. Philip’s. Not just by the number of things going on (for this is a large parish), but by the engagement in spiritual growth, expression and outreach. Then as now there were multiple forums for learning no matter where one might be on one’s spiritual path. Then as now worship services offered variety to create relevant worship experiences. Then as now there were many ways in which this community reached out to neighbors through programs of its own and through making its facilities available to outside programs consistent with its mission. The metaphors often used for the Holy Spirit – a wind, flame, or bird – are apt for the Holy Spirit doesn’t just sit around! It counsels, cajoles, inspires, leads, and illuminates. The Holy Spirit does these things at St. Philip’s in the Hills. This was clearly a church that took seriously its commitment to be the body of Christ in this place.

Initially we joined the choir. The first new stirrings of the Spirit within me came in interactions with Garmon Ashby. Mine is not a fine voice, but on good days is adequate to contribute to choral singing. Garmon’s disciplined rehearsals and his sense of the profound purpose of music in worship brought me to a new level of passion for my small part in service to the congregation. The leadership and patience of the staff singers continues to teach me about the craft of singing, and their commitment to the worship of God at St. Philip’s inspires me. The choir experience gave and continues to give me a sense of belonging, a reason to strive to do and be better, and a connection to the Holy Spirit.

Through this relationship with the community, I started to feel more willing to give back by participating at St. Philip’s in other ways. The ways that opened up happened to be roles that brought me into increased contact with the leadership and staff of the church. This brought me to my next renewed and strengthened connection to my spiritual center.

I began to reconnect with my faith. Through contact with the people we who work here to support the mission of the parish, I felt reinvigorated (and a little daunted). The office staff show enormous commitment to St.Philip’s and its mission. They set a high standard for the people they serve. As a vestry member, I see the staff at most meetings, there to provide information, give support, and to remind us of realities of schedules, facility limitations, and procedures. In all of this the staff show a generous Christian spirit. The result for me has been that I feel more prayerful and hopeful. I know that there is a foundation of skills and knowledge, focused on our common mission and faithful to the Holy Spirit, ready to provide the support I need to dream, innovate, reach farther, and succeed.

In the op-ed section of the NY Times on October 17, there was a piece by Karl Giberson and Randall Stephens titled The Evangelical Rejection of Reason. One sentence struck me in particular, “Evangelicalism at its best seeks a biblically grounded expression of Christianity that is intellectually engaged, humble and forward-looking.” This spoke to me personally. It seems also to be an apt description of our community at St. Philip’s. Maybe we are evangelicals in disguise, if that’s not an oxymoron! It is this culture within the church that makes it possible for me to listen for the Holy Spirit. I feel that wherever the Spirit whispers for me to go, St. Philip’s will provide a foundation for discernment, education, encouragement, and resources.

These come largely through the clergy and lay staff. I believe that without their core administrative, executive, and service functions our membership would not be able to do or imagine doing the things that we do. Yet I sometimes hear opinions that we are top-heavy on clergy, or that we could do with a less ambitious music program, or if we can survive without fill-in-the-blank, then why do we need thus-and-such.

The question then is one of focus on survival vs focus on mission. Do we want to be a church doing Christ’s work? Sarah Miles is the author of Jesus Freak and will be at St. Philip’s in February. In her book she says we need to “feed people, heal people, and raise the dead” and that if we’re not doing that we don’t have a church! She means these exhortations in the sense of the hungry, wounded, and deadened spirit that I have often felt. St. Philip’s has been this church for me. But in order to do this in a parish this size, we need to pitch in (as church people have always done) and we need the organizational structure, including people, to support the efforts of the community. And we need to pay for it.

This congregation is an inspirational model to others in what we do and who we are. We are blessed with oodles of talent in our congregation. You can’t swing a censer in this place without hitting a senior engineer or scientist, noted academic, high-powered executive, or accomplished artist. This very day we are hosting our Annual Outdoor Arts Show (where you can buy lunch from our own youth), and later this afternoon there will be an organ recital presented by Friends of Music, featuring our own renowned Jeffrey Campbell. These activities rely heavily on volunteer talent and commitment. However, in order to do our work we depend on the trained, dedicated professionals who help us daily in the office. These folks are central in creating an environment for me to find nourishment in a spiritual home and a sense of purpose for my activities knowing I am supported.

Thank you for your support which allows me to embrace my spiritual center in such a way that it helps me serve others.

Let us pray:

Creator God, without whom there is nothing seen or unseen, grant us grace that we may thankfully receive those things that we need; that to your honor we may steward those gifts you give to us through your abundant love; and that to your glory may we give as you have given to us. Amen.