As I watched workers begin to stain the bricks of the new parish hall to more closely match the bricks of the 24-year-old building, I found myself reflecting on the journey leading us to this point. The process of making new look like old is largely a superficial, cosmetic effort. It’s not unimportant in the realm of presenting a good face to the world. It speaks, however, to a deeper reality of our life together at Saint Alban’s.
There is no doubt that we have a beautiful church building - that will soon include an impressive parish hall - in which we can rightly take some pride. That being said, Saint Alban’s is about so much more than the edifice that appears in front of you as you drive from Concord Road down Saint Alban’s Lane. Even as we add to this edifice, and do so in a way that takes outside appearance into account, staining bricks to blend old with new, it is important that we continually remind ourselves why we are doing this.
We are not building a new parish hall and staining bricks to impress the “outside world” (although that doesn’t hurt in terms of attracting new members!). We are doing it so that we can increase our capacity to love God and love our neighbors. We are doing it to grow more and more into the beloved community that God is calling us to be; a community where faith is cultivated and nurtured, and God’s love, mercy, and justice are made manifest in ways that transform lives.
So as we get closer and closer to the culmination of this multi-year process of building a parish hall, even as we celebrate what we have accomplished together with God, marvel at our remarkable new addition, and enjoy using it, I invite us to be ever mindful of the “why”. Thanks to all who have helped make it possible!
Yours in Christ,
Kevin+
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