Rector's Message
A message from our Rector, Pastor Diane...
Hope is as essential to life as food and rest. As Christians, we draw our hope from the promises of God’s faithfulness and goodness. It is hope that makes itself known in surprising and unexpected ways and at unexpected times.
I was tired. It had been a long night of work at my desk at a former church I served. The day to day operations of the church were heavy upon me. Finally, around 10:30pm, as I drove out of the church parking lot, I glanced to the side, and there, perfectly framed within the rays of a spotlight on the church wall, was a single, fully opened, beautiful rose rising out of a large thorn bush. The sight was stunning and so shocked me that I pulled over to take it in (Is it a coincidence that one of my favorite Christmas carols is “Lo, how a Rose e’er Blooming”?! If you’re not familiar with the text of that hymn, I encourage you to look it up). While the thorn bush had been there that morning, the rose had not. Now in the dark of night, a seemingly fragile, vulnerable rose had arisen from the thicket of that bush, perfectly illumined against the backdrop of the church. It was to me a sign and reminder that God is persistent in bringing beauty into this world. God is persistent in sustaining the fragile and vulnerable amidst the thorns and thicket of this world, God is persistent in redirecting our paths when we get lost in the minutiae of the busyness of our lives. God is persistent in revealing wondrous surprises that give us hope.
We invite you to join us along this journey of faith at St. Peter’s with the expectation that you will experience God’s presence in surprising and unexpected ways and at unexpected times that will give you hope.
Pastor Diane
I was tired. It had been a long night of work at my desk at a former church I served. The day to day operations of the church were heavy upon me. Finally, around 10:30pm, as I drove out of the church parking lot, I glanced to the side, and there, perfectly framed within the rays of a spotlight on the church wall, was a single, fully opened, beautiful rose rising out of a large thorn bush. The sight was stunning and so shocked me that I pulled over to take it in (Is it a coincidence that one of my favorite Christmas carols is “Lo, how a Rose e’er Blooming”?! If you’re not familiar with the text of that hymn, I encourage you to look it up). While the thorn bush had been there that morning, the rose had not. Now in the dark of night, a seemingly fragile, vulnerable rose had arisen from the thicket of that bush, perfectly illumined against the backdrop of the church. It was to me a sign and reminder that God is persistent in bringing beauty into this world. God is persistent in sustaining the fragile and vulnerable amidst the thorns and thicket of this world, God is persistent in redirecting our paths when we get lost in the minutiae of the busyness of our lives. God is persistent in revealing wondrous surprises that give us hope.
We invite you to join us along this journey of faith at St. Peter’s with the expectation that you will experience God’s presence in surprising and unexpected ways and at unexpected times that will give you hope.
Pastor Diane
