what we have vs. what we need.

I recently returned from a brief trip to visit our Sister Parish, Santa Maria Virgen in El Salvador. It was a great reminder about the amazing gifts we've been given both as a family and as a church. In all our focus on what it takes to run a church, I've found it is easy to loose sight of the the only thing that we truly need. Love. It is not about fancy facilities or the newest curriculum. Santa Maria Virgen is building disciples with an outdoor classroom and a six thousand dollar annual budget. How is looking for 'the next big thing' keeping me from seeing what we already have been given?
As a father, I often wonder how my work in the church is impacting my kids. I work strange hours and live a life that is different from much of the culture. In El Salvador, many of the dad's are working exceptional hours or are abroad to provide the most basic necessities for their family. How can I see the gifts of being a clergy person rather than imagining how I might be impacting their lives negatively by my vocation?

Playing in the Graveyard

Last week Henry stopped by as I was digging a grave with the churchyard
superintendent.
He asked, 'Are you digging for buried treasure?'
I replied, 'No, we are preparing a place for Mr. Spring's ashes to go. When someone dies we put their bodies in the ground, but their soul goes to heaven.'
'Hmmm', Henry said, 'Let me know if you find treasure while you're doing that'.

We use the churchyard to play hide and seek and Henry is learning to spell by looking at the gravestones. Angus chases the animals out there and last fall I raked up an amazing pile of leaves from the beautiful oak trees that we jumped in for hours.

The constant reminder of what is to come can only help the little ones understand the essential nature of living a full life. Maybe later they'll come to some theological realization about what comes next but for now I'm just happy for them to play in the graveyard.

The Church.

My work at St. Mary's makes up the 'priest' portion of the blog. Located in Newton Lower Falls, the church has been a vibrant community for nearly 200 years. I was called to be the Rector here in the summer of 2010.

The Kids.

Henry and Anne are the two little ones who make up the 'dad' portion of the blog.
Henry turns five in October. Anne turns 2 in June.
They were not created out of thin air. Margaret, my better half, is an awesome mom. We've been married for eight years.