Weekly Reflection - 9/20/2023

St. Mary's Reflection: The Rev. Kira Austin-Young

Ministry of the Baptized

In the Catechism of the Episcopal Church, found towards the end of the Book of Common Prayer, the answer to the question “Who are the ministers of the Church?” is “The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.” (BCP pg 855) Lay (i.e., non-ordained) people are not listed first by accident but because lay people make up the majority of ministers and are the most important ministers of the Church. Continuing on, the Catechism defines the ministry of the laity as “to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.” (BCP pg 855) We are all ministers by virtue of our baptisms, and we are called to minister both within the life of the Church and also outside - in our workplaces, where we volunteer, with our friends, and our families.

The vibrant life of love and grace that we experience at St. Mary’s would not be possible without the gifts and talents of all of you. At the same time, we know how busy everyone is and the demands on people’s time, and we hope that engagement with ministry at and through St. Mary’s is something life-giving and spiritually-fulfilling.

For the first time since the pandemic, we will be having a Ministry Fair this Sunday, September 24th, in the courtyard to showcase the variety of ministries available at St. Mary’s. From leading Sunday worship to supporting new arrivals to the US with the Nueva Esperanza Accompaniment Team, from long-term commitments to one-off projects, I believe there is something to appeal to everyone. And if a ministry is missing that you’d like to see, God might be calling you to start something new!

I hope that you will join us throughout Sunday morning in the courtyard to prayerfully learn about the possibilities for ministry through St. Mary’s as we all seek to live into our baptismal vocation.

The Rev. Kira Austin-Young