Part Two of the Rector’s Annual
Report by the Reverend John E. Kitagawa at the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist,
DANGER AND
Micah 6: 1-8; I Corinthians 1: 18-31; Matthew 5: 1-12
Today’s
Epistle helps us pick up a theme from last Sunday. I asked you to meditate on Matthew’s story
about the calling of the first disciples.
Before walking by the
“Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew
“Repent” is one of those Church words that conjures up
powerful negative images. Take, for
example, the following sentence from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer’s Morning
and Evening Prayer General Confessions:
“But thou, O Lord, have
mercy upon us, miserable offenders”[1]
(my underline).
Not just offenders, but miserable offenders. No wonder some people do not want any part of
repentance.
Truthfully, repentance
is a healthy spiritual practice for normal and ordinary human beings like you
and me. You have heard me say I believe
everyone is on a spiritual journey. On
my journey, I have made a number of course corrections after veering off the
pathway. Repentance is about setting
aside unhealthy and unfruitful ways in order to rediscover the pathway God
illumines for us. Repentance is also
about re-opening ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s
purposes in the world. Repentance is an
important step in the redemption of our lives.
Peter, Andrew, James and John were not miserable offenders. But, they significantly altered the course of
their lives by opening themselves to be led by God in Christ.
We tend to
think of Peter, Andrew, James and John as awesome, special and incredibly
gifted SAINTS. Most of us probably
believe we could never measure up to these giants of the faith. Not so.
Peter, Andrew, James, John and the rest of the disciples for that
matter, were models for Paul’s description of God’s chosen vessels for carrying
out God’s mission in the world. Listen
to the Message version of I Corinthians (
Take a good look,
friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I
don't see many of
"the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not
many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose
men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these
"nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the
"somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by
with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking
and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of
Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a
horn, blow a trumpet for God."
Clearly, Paul
was concerned about the Corinthian community.
Factions had developed around perceived leaders—Paul, Apollos, Cephas,
and Christ. Without saying it in so many
words, Paul was calling the Corinthian community to repentance, to a significant
course correction, to open themselves, once again, to be led by God in
Christ. In the process, Paul advises the
members of the community to remember who they are and where they came
from. For the most part, God has chosen
everyday people to be instruments of God’s work in the world—ordinary folks, yet
vehicles for manifesting the
St. Philip’s
is in a crisis, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The Chinese character for “crisis” can be
interpreted both as “danger” and as “opportunity.” Many focus on perceived “dangers”, to the
detriment of potential “opportunities” before us. The danger of our crisis is largely defined
as a lack of financial resources, and the consequences thereof. The opportunity part, I think, is to
recognize and call the human resources and spiritual gifts that abound in this
community; and, to put them to use for God’s work in the world. So, the first challenge I lay before you today
is to recognize and seize the opportunity.
For example, take Eric Rau up on his challenge, so the new Commissioner for
Education reports next year that Ministry Development workshop participation has
gone from dismal to overflowing. I make
this challenge because I have heard far too much, “we can’t …” or “I can’t …”
language; or, well-meaning new ideas for someone else, often the significantly
reduced staff, to carry out.
Let me tell
you about a recent meeting to illustrate what I hope to see happen. I met with the Suzanne Hesh, who convenes the
Border and Immigration Ministry. Her
question was something like this: “Given
the new staff structure, what changes does B.I.M. need to make?” Nevertheless, I told Suzanne that this
ministry is a model. It is a group of
people gathered around a passion for ministry, who work very hard to ground
their ministry in Scripture and prayer, who develop programs in keeping with
St. Philip’s mission vision, and who use Greg Foraker (staff) as a resource,
mentor and guide. Suzanne also asked
whether the group could help or support the parish in any other way. So, I asked B.I.M. to work with Children,
Youth and Family Ministries in relationship to the God Across Borders
program.
Many people
active with the Children, Youth and Family Ministries feel abandoned and do not
feel St. Philip’s is committed to this ministry. Out of my commitment last week, I suggested some
ways remaining staff can be helpful in making the transition. Today, I challenge the whole parish, all
Commissions and their ministries to recommit to this vital ministry, and to find
ways to support and help carry on parts of that ministry. For example, I am impressed the intentional
work to teach children and youth about serving people less fortunate than
ourselves. The
This past week,
I met with Youth Group leaders. They
were clear about their sorrow and their concerns about losing Rosalind Garcia
as their staff person. But they also
were clear about their commitment and dedication to the youth of this parish—today
and tomorrow. They want to take part in
developing a plan and roadmap for the future of Youth Ministry. There were specific suggestions, the lifting up of specific
gifts, but also clarity about some limits of time and experience. Transition will not be easy. Here is another challenge. With the addition of a few key leaders with
organizational and coordinating skills, I am confident in the continuation of a
strong and effective Youth Ministry. I look
forward to the next strategy meeting.
I grew up in the
Church, and have been professionally involved for over 36 years. This is a unique parish. The potential is beyond even our current
dreams. I have just mentioned some of
the opportunities and potential born of human resources and spiritual
gifts. Let me address our potential financial
resources. In my snail mail this week
was a lovely note and check from a chorister who started in our youth
programs. She told me she viewed her
participation in the music ministry as a contribution to the parish, and I
agree. She also is in a place to contribute
much financially, but still wrote what I regard as a sacrificial check. I have written to thank her and to assure her
that her gift is welcome and meaningful.
I share this to note my appreciation that you are in different personal
financial positions, and as a prelude to the following challenge.
I challenge
you to Tithe your income. In case you do
not know, this is by resolution of the General Convention, the minimum
standard for giving in the Episcopal Church (see resolution below). The tithe is generally defined as 10% of
income. You can decide whether that is
pre or post taxable income. There are
two ways to reach the tithe. The first
is mathematical. Figure out what percent
of your income your current pledge is, and make a commitment to move year by
year toward the minimum standard of 10% in, let us say, five years. The second is a more spiritual. Start with the commitment to reach the
minimum 10% in the five years. Then each
year discern where God and being a part of God’s community of faith and action
ranks in your priorities. Then try to make
your pledge commitment the first item in your budget. I remember well, probably 25 years ago, when
Kathy and I started to build our budget with the first priority of tithing. At the time, we had a mortgage and were paying
Kathy’s college tuition on this priest’s salary. It took a couple of years to reach and then
surpass the minimum 10%; but, I want you to know we did not suffer due to our
decision to tithe first. We did not take
glamorous vacations, or consume voraciously.
Instead, we discovered great satisfaction and joy in giving mainly to
the Church, and then causes we were committed to. There is a fellow tither, who does not
particularly approve of everything going on at St. Philip’s. He puts the tithe into proper spiritual
perspective for me. He told me, “I tithe
to Jesus, and I make out most of the checks to St. Philip’s.” Lest the Stewardship and Finance Committees,
and the Vestry get too excited, the General Convention resolution on the tithe
also sets as a goal 50/50 giving for the recipient of the tithes. In other words, the goal for St. Philip’s
would be to have a budget that prioritizes 50% of its income to ministry in the
community beyond the parish.
Some people,
I know, are on fixed incomes or have other financial considerations, which may
make the tithe too much of a stretch.
Members of the Planned Giving Committee and I would be pleased to talk
to you about including St. Philip’s in your legacy planning, perhaps at the
level of the tithe. As your rector, I am
surprised how few legacy gifts St. Philip’s receives. One gentleman said to me over lunch, “I
didn’t think St. Philip’s needed my money.”
I am deeply grateful that he contacted his attorney, and has now
included St. Philip’s in his legacy planning.
I think it would now be difficult for anyone to think we do not need
financial support in the form of legacy gifts.
I close with
a couple of comments about short term planning and strategizing. At the end of Part II of the Annual Meeting,
I will adjourn until I convene Part III on
I trust they will listen to as many stakeholders as
possible. This work will feed into the
Annual Vestry and Leadership Retreat, scheduled for the second week-end in
March. The goal for that retreat is to
develop a progress report to be shared at the reconvened Annual Meeting (Part
III) on
Discussions
about longer term strategic planning, about evangelism, about growing the
parish have blossomed. These will be on
the agenda of the February Vestry meeting for formal discussion and initial
decisions. I hope these will also factor
into the Retreat and the
As a final word, let me point out that the
Micah reading and Jesus’ Beatitudes share a common spirit—an acknowledgement
that all life is dependent upon the grace of God; and, a radical devotion to
doing God’s will[3]. That is the context in which we must view our
crisis, and the basis for making decisions about moving forward in
mission. Amen.
2009 General Convention Resolution D-055: Reaffirm Tithe as Minimum
Standard
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 76th
General Convention reaffirm the tithe as the minimum standard of giving for
Episcopalians; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention Secretariat is requested
to make provisions for the members of each House conveniently to indicate that
they either are tithing or are firmly committed to tithing within five years,
by signing their name and clearly printing their name and diocese, or, if they
feel it inappropriate to make such a private matter public, signing and clearly
printing the word "Anonymous" and giving either their state of
residence or the state or foreign country where they were born; and be it
further
Resolved, That the record of names and "Anonymous"
signings be published in the Convention Journal and in such other Church
publications as the Presiding Bishop may designate.