A New Year

Dear Cathedral Family,

The new year in our life together is off to a brisk beginning, not only with a dip in temperatures but with our rapid movement toward Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent. This long weekend is a brief pause before we plunge on to our annual meeting and the busy year that lies ahead. We will be discussing many long-anticipated activities when we gather next week.

The lectionary this Sunday jumps out of Matthew into John, as it does every year at this point, looking at the series of days that begin Jesus’ ministry. This year, Year A, we hear the witness of John the Baptist concerning “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” and we see Jesus call his first disciples.

The Gospel draws us into fresh awareness of Jesus’ triumph over all that is broken and evil in the world—and gives us the chance to feel the power in him that Andrew and Simon (Peter) felt, a power that drew them to follow Jesus spontaneously. He is the One who has power over all that we fear, all that causes suffering, all that we find daunting in our lives.

In these early days of a fresh year, the power of Jesus that we meet in the Gospel can invigorate us for the work and the journey of the year ahead. I am looking forward to the unfolding of this year in our life together as the Cathedral Family and to our worship together this Sunday as food for the journey.

Faithfully,

Beverly+