Dear Cathedral Family,
On July 30 this year, I preached a sermon talking about things not being what we expected, but so much more. Experiencing, in all things, Christ’s love for us and the ability to show our love to others. In other words … the Kingdom. The Kingdom that is coming, but also the kingdom here, now, if we are willing to see it and live into it. But more than that, it’s about the unexpected, that, in the Kingdom, even as we live in things temporal, we can experience the eternal in ways we never knew possible. It’s not always what we anticipated, what we expected. It’s more.
God expected Solomon to ask for long life and wealth, but he instead asked for wisdom so as to be able to discern what is right. Solomon didn’t necessarily know how to pray in this instance, but when God asked him what he wanted, he spoke the truth. Paul wrote to the Romans that when they (we) don’t know how to pray, or for what to ask, the Spirit will intercede for us and help us to ask for what accords with God’s will. Paul writes we can do this because Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself for us, to show us how much he loves us, and nothing can separate us from that love. Love goes beyond expectations and gives us so much more. Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel, tells the parables of the mustard seed, yeast, treasure, and pearl. We learn that what is small, and seemingly insignificant, becomes large. Also, when we find the kingdom, we are willing to sacrifice for it and buy the field with the hidden treasure or sell all in order to buy the pearl. Some may think this sounds like too much, but we know it is worth it when we understand God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, and how we are to go out and share that love with others.
What do we want for Grace and Holy Trinity in 2024? We want to work together for the good of all and go beyond our expectations for something better. We want to Expect the Unexpected!
I believe that if we ask for what is expected, that’s what we’ll get; but, when we ask for the unexpected, we’ll get so much more. With that in mind, I ask that you prayerfully consider making a pledge to Grace and Holy Trinity for 2024. When you pledge to the work and ministry of the Cathedral, you are putting your faith and trust in all of us to expect the unexpected, so that what we get/give/share/learn is so much more than we could have ever imagined. Thank you for that trust.
Faithfully,
The Very Rev. Dr. Andrew C. Keyse, Dean