Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This past month I’ve heard the word “Sanctuary” quite a bit. What initially came to mind is a place that is somehow made holy; a sacred space where you can seek refuge, feel protected, and rest from the worries of the world in the presence of God, and in the presence of people who see you with eyes like Christ, welcoming you just as you are. I hope and pray that Calvary can be a sanctuary for many; a safe place where anyone can walk in and seek refuge regardless of color, appearance, income, politics, gender, hygiene, sexual orientation, or anything else that differentiates us.
Since Calvary is a community called to bring healing, we must also be a safe place of sanctuary for every seeker. No matter where one is in life, each of us needs to be seen, loved, and included. It is only when we create welcoming spaces that people will feel free enough to reevaluate their lives, experience God’s healing and transforming grace, and grow into a person that more closely resembles Jesus Christ.
As Pentecost approached, I hope you were reminded that WE are God’s sanctuary, filled with God’s Holy Spirit. We are a people called to love and live in unity despite our differences. Calvary is a holy sanctuary every time we are willing to truly accept another. Let us not forget that letting go of the traditional ways of doing things in order to love, include and heal was something Christ thought was worth dying for.
Together, let us live out what it means to BE God’s sanctuary. Let us open our doors and our lives to people who are different. Let us warmly greet strangers, and go beyond the surface of hospitality by inviting whomever God brings into our doors, into our community of faith, and into our lives. I pray we have eyes like Christ to see as God does, joyfully welcoming all whom the Spirit brings through our doors!
Lovingly in God’s Spirit,
+Mother Mo