Dear friends,
Amidst the many responsibilities in my life right now is teaching our youth confirmation classes. Fear not, I won’t share anything that would embarrass anyone—and some may find the following confession surprising given my years in education—but teaching our confirmation class is the hardest thing I currently do. Now, before anyone starts to doubt my call to serve all ages, I don’t find the classes difficult because I don’t like the students or because they are difficult; in fact, they are positively angelic (seriously), and I hope they don’t dislike me too much. And it is not because they ask overly difficult questions or don’t take part. But as we gathered for one of our recent classes, when I found myself asking our students several essential questions about their views on faith, the Bible, and why they wanted to be confirmed, the answers weren’t, well, immediate or as detailed as I originally hoped. At first, I found myself confounded, but then Alexis MacElhiney, our Children’s Ministry Director, reminded me that they don’t really know me, and I don’t really know them. And that understandably makes sharing about one’s faith—those things most important to us—difficult.
One of the hardest things about starting out all over again in a new community is precisely that: it’s starting out all over again. And even with all the hospitality, warmth, and enthusiasm in the world—which this parish has in spades—we’re still all getting to know each other. As I was reminded the other day, Devon and I have only been here for eight months. Brian Locke, our Interim Organist and Director of Music, has only been here for eight weeks. As I recently counted on Breeze, many families among our parish have only been here—or have been back here after a long period away—for the same amount of time as me. During our recent vestry retreat, we discussed how such “newness” was even the case for many who had attended this parish for years. And so, we spent considerable time on the retreat simply getting to know one another better, especially concerning the things which often challenge or frighten us.
And this brought me back to our youth and our confirmation classes: when you enter a new phase of life, whatever age you’re at, starting over is tough. And as we move further into Lent, this season can often become more difficult rather than easier, because, while you find yourself getting over those initial steps into a new way of being, you’re then reminded of how far you still must go. But it’s a good journey, and one worth persevering with. And our young people constantly remind me of this. Without sounding patronizing to any age group, faith, like life itself, is a journey. And the task presented to us is to embrace the fact that we are always becoming new and not turn back when it gets difficult. That is exactly what Lent and re-affirming our faith is for.
With every blessing,
Ed.
The Rev. Edward Thornley
Rector of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist