Stewardship: The Rev. Dr. Victoria R. Sirota
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Grace and peace to you. What joy it is to be your Vicar. Whether you are a new or old member or someone who is beginning to explore whether this may become your spiritual home, I rejoice that you are here and pray that this is a place where you may experience the love of Christ and the prodding of the Holy Spirit.
The Congregation of St. Saviour is a wonder. You are young in years as a parish, and yet you have quickly become the heart and soul of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. You support a powerful ministry to visitors, seekers and pilgrims with your generous gifts of time, talent and resources. Your hospitality, leadership, witness, prayers, and comfort change lives. You are the hands and feet of Christ in this city.
The great vision of this Cathedral, well over 100 years old, continues to unfold as the building is restored, cleaned and renovated. Spiritual life is not unlike this process. We stand on the faith of our forebears, but that is not enough. We must keep reclaiming, restoring, cleaning and renovating our relationship with the Holy One so that the light of Christ may shine through us and transform all of our relationships.
What God gives so generously to us, we need to pass on. In the Epistle of James, we are told, “Every generous act of giving, with every gift, is from above” (James 1:17a).
The more we give, the more we understand and participate in God’s astonishing love for us. Being generous may seem like a great risk, but if we are interested in a more profound relationship with God, this is the only way.
As we look ahead to the new program year, it is my privilege to ask you to step out on faith and make a monetary pledge to the ministry of the Congregation of St. Saviour. If you have not pledged before, this is an opportunity to begin to entrust your finances to God. If you have pledged before, then please consider increasing your pledge. The wonderful programs and ministry of this Congregation will be greatly enriched by your generosity. A pledge card is enclosed which you may fill out and deposit in the offering plate on Sunday, October 21 so that your commitment may be blessed as part of the liturgy.
But more than this, I ask all of you to rethink your relationship with this Congregation and this Cathedral. What is God saying to you in the quiet moments of your prayer life? How is the Holy Spirit prodding you? What ministries and service are you being called to? And how can we help you discern this calling?
Dear ones, we step out on faith together. May the love of Christ be your guide.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Dr. Victoria R. Sirota
Vicar of the Congregation
