I come to offer that by bringing two gifts, two great gifts, given to me by two men who in their day were called to be rector of St. Margaret’s. Chosen by the Lord to lead and guide this family, gifted by God to lead our church and loved by God day by day as they served as rector. Brad Hall and Robert Certain were good and faithful servants and I had the privilege of serving you the people of God here of St. Margaret’s under their leadership. It was a great gift to me.

Two things in particular that I want to offer you, and after all, I learned many things from both of these men and together as a family we learned many things from both of these men. But from Brad, what I want to offer you the gift that he gave me, the prayer of the Holy Spirit, and I’ve shared this before and it’s going to be part of our Capital Campaign which is going to switch into high gear in a few days; the prayer goes like this, many of you who were here when he was rector, knew this prayer -- those of you who never knew Brad, this was a prayer he used every time he got up to preach and after a while, that gets to be a part of your heart and soul and breathing and living.

From Robert, I treasure the prayer he selected to be the prayer we used after communion and so for the last 9 years, every time we’ve gathered for communion in this Holy place, receive communion, go back to our pews, we have together, prayed:

I treasure the double movement, Thanksgiving, acknowledging God care for us, feeding us, and I also enjoy the petition, asking God now that we’re fed, to send us out to do the work that God himself has given us to do, to be faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.

Both prayers repeated Sunday after Sunday have changed me. I think it has changed us as a congregation. Both prayers invites God to use us, to continue to use us to expand the kingdom, to tell the good news, to bring fellowship to bring God through Jesus Christ. Both reminded me, through these prayers, that Christian discipleship is not a spectator sport, you can’t sit on the sidelines, or you can’t sit in the living room and have a super bowl party, and isn’t that great! Christian discipleship isn’t about being a spectator. It is a powerful and dynamic and life changing, and in deed, world changing activity. And God has called you and has called me in this discipleship and in this place, St. Margaret’s, in this time and we’re ready -- we’re ready with God’s grace to continue the good work that God has begun in us, by his grace.

I think we can boast like Paul, who in his letters said, "I am what I am, by God’s Grace." Well, we are who we are and what we are by God’s Grace. As I call attention to what we already do and what God’s calling us to do, I invite you to work with me, to work with the staff of the church and school, to work with the vestry of St. Margaret’s, as we’re the ones called to leadership in this place at this time. We are the ones chosen to lead you here and now. It’s our gifts that God desires to use to help the body of Christ to remain strong and vital, beautiful and growing here in 2007; during this time of transition.

It has pleased God to call me to exercise leadership here and now while the work of hiring the interim rector, the work of calling the next rector, proceeds. I’m it folks, I’m it for the moment. The future is held in God’s hands and God is very trustworthy -- God holds us gently and will guide us gently. Likewise the staff of the church and school, the members of the vestry, they are not waiting around for the real version of the vestry to show up or the real version of the staff to be called, they are the real deal, they are the ones called in 2007 to leadership. And, likewise, they are not waiting for the real version of St. Margaret’s to show up somehow, and some Sunday, you’re it, you are the ones who are called by God, who are chosen by God to be here right now, during the time of transition, to offer your gift to be God’s people, God’s Graced people, right now.

So we’re in this together all of us by God’s Grace right here and right now and it’s a great place to be, and again if you are looking for a parish to join, this is it, I invite you. Now, others might shake their head, wondering what could God possibly be thinking, but me, I’m smiling, I’m smiling because, I know you. And you know me. I know God and I know you know God and I know how hard each of you are working as a disciple of Christ. And that gives me great joy and great hope. I am convinced that you are convinced that with God’s Grace, that we, all of us together, are ready to continue that work God has given us to do and we are ready to do even greater things because of God’s Grace is working with us.

Again, it’s a great spot to be in. We bring to this moment, of course, a history of letting the light of God shine through us, and you’d better believe that we’re poised to increase the wattage, not dim it, and I’m not talking about the cross up on the hill, but I am talking about the worship in this place. I’m talking about our work for God in the world in which we live -- we’re ready to increase the wattage. Our light, God’s light shining through us, is about to shine even more brightly and there will be no dimming that light. And the news we make, the news we make won’t be about keeping a neighbor awake up on the hill -- oh no, it’s going to be about awakening our neighbors to the love God in Jesus Christ, a love big enough to brighten the whole world, and certainly a love enough to brighten a part of the world we live in. That’s the news we’re going to make.

So! The state of this parish is a state of readiness and a state of active listening for the voice of God calling us to the service of others. Calling us to serve our neighbor, calling us to serve the poor, the outcast, the ones nobody cares about and calling us to the service of others -- calling us to renew ourselves for that service in our worship together right here -- you see we come to this Holy Place as we have for many years to give thanks, to be renewed, to be refreshed, to be fed by God and then we leave out all nineteen doors, or however many there are, we leave this Holy Place, go out from this Holy Place, go out into the world to love and serve others, to love and serve the Lord who we know and love. To love and serve the Lord as faithful witnesses.

The state of this parish is also a state of readiness and active listening for the voice of God sending us out to family, friends, neighbors, to the person who looks lost to the person who comes to us seeking wisdom or comfort, or inspiration, sends us out to the chance encounter at the market or school, or soccer field, sends us out so that we may share the good news of God in Christ and invite others into a deeper knowledge and a deeper friendship with the Lord we know and love and the Lord we serve.

The state of this parish is a state of readiness and active listening for voice of God calling us to make the time so whether alone or with others, here or in another venue, we may study and learn, renewing mind and heart in the knowledge of God, in the love of God shared with us, in Jesus Christ, deepening the words and the spirit of our prayers in forming the work of our hands, study, so that the knowledge of God and God’s work will be mature.

The state of this parish is a state of readiness and active listening to the voice of God inspiring us to love one another as we are known and as we are loved by God and Jesus Christ. We’re ready to continue our work in caring for one another by our prayers and our presence and our love wherever and whenever the comforting love God is needed. Whenever and wherever the healing and reconciling of God is needed. Whenever and wherever the wisdom and peace of God is needed, we’re ready to be the eyes and ears, the very heart, of voice and hand of our Lord so that the caring and healing and reconciling ministry of Jesus Christ may continue in this time and in this place for God’s Glory.

The state of this parish is a state of readiness and active listening for the voice of God, challenging us, understanding all that we are and all that we have is God’s gift entrusted to our care. We are ready to hear God’s challenge to care for the gifts so freely given us. We are a parish ready to hear how we can ensure that the light of God, shining through this place in the line of our work, the light of God may continue to shine brightly, for generations to come. We’re ready to hear how our gift of time and talent and treasure given today, will make possible and even brighter light to shine into this valley for years and into the years to come. So once again, by God’s Grace, I am the person called to lead you today, to do something with your life and the person called you today to encourage today to go and do the work that God has given you to do. The staff and vestry are the leaders called by God and elected by you, in the case of the vestry, to help you to do something with your lives; they are called and elected to make sure that you have all that you need to do the work that God has given to you.

As we enter this interim period, let us trust one another, let us love one another as together we’re always with God’s Grace, we prove ourselves to be a people, "doing" , doing something with our lives for the Glory of God. Not just ready, not just listening, but out there "doing" for the Glory of God. And let us trust one another and love one another as together and as God feeding us from this table we go from this Holy Place, to do the work that God has give us to do. As faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. Prove ourselves, not to be just ready, and not to be just listening, but out there doing the work God’s given us to do.

I leave it to you each individually to discern God’s call to you. I leave it to you each individually to identify what gift or what gifts, God asks you to share in this time and in this place so that the body of Christ might be strong and vibrant, active! With the staff of the church and school and with the vestry, I stand ready to help you to discern God’s call, and stand ready to help you and encourage you to identify the gifts you bring to share. And, I’ll even prod you if necessary to say "you’d better share that gift."

Finally, every day, I want you to know, I pray for you. I pray for each of you to be a real live witness to the continuing story of salvation, whether you are male, or female, young or old, I pray that you will be the modern day version of Samuel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. I pray that the words of your mouth, the words of your heart will be like Samuel’s, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening." I pray that you hear as did Jeremiah both God’s words of correction and God’s words of promise. For you remember, He spoke to Jeremiah that "Do not say that I am too young," and so He speaks to us, "Do not say I’m not able because," do not say that, because I shall send you -- you shall go to all to whom I send you and you shall speak what ever I command you -- do not be afraid. And God’s word of promise to Jeremiah, to you, to me, "For I am with you to deliver me," says the Lord.

I pray that when you hear God’s question, whom shall I send and who shall go for us? That you will respond as Isaiah responded, "Here am I, send me and I pray every day that you will hear the words of Jesus." Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Yes, we can do this. Amen.