Rector's Reflection: Property, Regathering, Connection & MLK (lots to think about!)

Dear Friends,

It's never just one thing! We have many things on our hearts and minds in our communal life this week. I want to touch on the letter you got from the Wardens and I last week about the possibility of selling or further developing Gale House. I want to touch on regathering. I want to touch on connection. And I want to make sure you know about the Martin Luther King program assembled by Natick, Spark Kindness, and the Clergy Association.

So let's begin with the property situation.....I mean the property opportunity! Opportunities abound my friends!

Gale House: The Wardens and vestry and I have been exploring some options, and we need to hear from you! If, for example, a builder were to ask us if they could buy Gale House and either demo it, subdividing some of the Gale House land back to us, OR restore it and convert it into condos, but subdivide the driveway back to us, what would you say? If after decades of discussing building our offices above Sherrill Hall and putting in an elevator, we started to explore that option more deeply, how would that sit with you? What are your questions, concerns, or ideas? Are there basic things that you would like to understand like what Gale House is (the office building next to church) or how we use it, or how we have used it, or what it's limitations and possibilities are, we'd be happy to field these more foundational topics as well. Will you come and talk to us on Sunday either at 11PM or 6:30PM on Zoom?

Regathering: I hear (and feel) how deeply many of us need to be together in church, in person. I hear (and agree) that church, (masked and distanced) is safer than the schools, social gatherings, and restaurants that many are going to. Please know that we are hoping to get back to the pews in February; hopefully sans registration requirements since we can now stream down to Sherrill Hall if we have overflow needs. Our Regathering team signed up back in the Spring of 2020 for a "short-term ministry" and they have been working hard. They have taken a short break during this Omicron spike and will begin to work on our next regathering plan soon. If anyone would like to join that team, do let us know! As you discern, you can find the most recent Covid guidelines from the diocese HERE. Truly the full expression of this community is in the joy of our gathering, and I cannot wait to be immersed in that with you all at long last!

Connection: A brief note on a topic that deserves a lot more than a brief note. There are a number of St. Paul's folks who have been deeply connected during the pandemic, either as part of the ministries that keep us going, or as participants in the on-line offerings, or as masked front-runners in the in-person gatherings. When I look through the directory I see that I have come to know about 75 of you really well. And then there are many of you who have struggled to feel connected to the very source of connection that you may need most right now. Maybe you have tried on-line church. Hopefully you are reading this (thank you!) Maybe you have gotten a few phone calls over the past two years from fellow parishioners. Maybe you miss church, or have adapted to a life without it; for we all have had to let things go to make it through these times. I want you to know that we see you. We miss you. We pray for you. We aim to regather with you as our motivation and with our hope that God re-connect us with you as our fuel. If you need anything, please know we are here: limited and fumbling a bit, but still here- as your hopeful church looking forward to the reconnection.

MLK Program: If you have an hour and a half to immerse yourself in hope, watch this. It is so good to be a part of this community! You will see some St. Paul's people if you are watching carefully!

With love in Christ,