Dear Friends in Christ—
What sets you on fire?
On Sunday night, I attended a talk by the Rt. Rev. Robert Wright, Bishop of Atlanta, in which he
spoke about purpose. The word has a Greek root—pur—which means “fire.” Purpose is the
thing which gives us fuel, the thing which sets us on fire.
Our vestry has been working for some time on a new mission statement, and in our final
discussions we were guided by this question. What fuels us at Grace? We had some of the best
conversation I’ve heard at vestry, as we talked about what really matters: Worship that changes
everything. Connection at the Food Pantry. Feeling alive in this place.
We came down to a statement that comes from those stories that matter, a statement that
expresses our confidence in who we are:
To Love, Proclaim, and Serve God through
Amar, Proclamar y Servir a Dios a través de
- life-giving liturgical worship
- joyful community
- empowering others
I hope these words can serve as a touchstone for us at Grace and a signpost for those looking
for a spiritual home. Love. Proclaim. Serve. This is the furnace that ignites us.
This weekend, we celebrate Founders’ Day, remembering the men and women who created a
new kind of place. Those faithful Christians made worship free to anyone who wanted to come.
They loved God. They proclaimed the good news. And they served all people.
Their fire is ours still. I hope you will hear it in this statement, and I hope we will stay lit up with this purpose.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+