They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *

the saving deeds that he has done. - Psalm 22:30

This weekend the Vestry goes on retreat. We welcome our new vestry members, Daviedra Sauldsberry, Bill Wells and Fred Demers. We welcome our new Junior Warden Bill Roberts. And we welcome some time apart to come together as a group and reflect on where God is calling Memorial in 2018 and beyond.

Now we won’t be gone very far. The retreat is right here in Baltimore! We will spend the bulk of our time in a community organization’s space in the Station North Neighborhood, and will do a tour of West Baltimore to become more familiar with some of the strengths and challenges of our neighboring communities.

The big focus of this retreat is a discussion about how to change the culture of our parish around children and around race. How can we become more inviting for children and families and for people of all backgrounds — ‘becoming the Beloved Community’ as our Presiding Bishop has called us to do?

So I am, of course, drawn to this verse from the psalms, where we remember both that we are here to make a place for those who come after us AND that we are also those unborn to those who came before us. This reminder that the work (making known the saving deeds he has done) remains the same even as our context and our audience shifts and changes from generation to generation.

On Sunday, The Rev. Shivaun Wilkinson will be joining us in the pulpit as she helps our congregation imagine how we can best serve those who are coming after us. An expert in the Episcopal Church in children’s formation and creating communities that embrace believers of all ages, she will be working with the vestry, parents and anyone who is interested over the next few months to help craft new programs for the children in our pews, and for the families too as we seek to create a church that continues to be a sanctuary and place of rest for kids, their parents, and all of us.

See you in Church!