Mandela and Responsibility to the Future

The world has been singularly focused on the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela since his death last night in South Africa.  His is a powerful story of commitment to a cause, of openness to conversion of heart, of a profound ability to hear and connect with an adversary and to invite all to unity.

If you read again through those elements of his life and death, to which many others might eloquently be added, it is clear that these are each and all central aims of the life of the Christian community.  Mandela has been a teacher to us all of the possibility of reconciliation and of real progress to move through and past division.  He continues to teach those lessons in death.  I suspect that his voice will continue to move us for generations.  I hope that this will be the case.

We take these lessons and make them real everyday, right where we live and work.  If we do not, they will never become real and tangible among us.  If we do, we help in quite concrete ways to build a viable and even delightful future.  As a part of the Church, our goals here at Mercer School are the same.  Our programs are intended to deepen our commitment to Jesus Christ and his Gospel, to call us to always deepening conversion, to open our ears to really hear one another across differences of opinion and to allow shared insights to bloom among us.

This Advent we celebrate a new church year and look ahead to a new calendar year.  I want to highlight here a few of our upcoming events over the first weeks and months of the new year:

January

25 - The Responsible Treasurer, a workshop appropriate to anyone involved in the preparatinon of a congregation's annual Parochial Report.

February

11 - Preaching the Lectionary for Lent and Easter, with Dr. Gordon Lathrop;
12 - Godspell and Bernstein's Mass: Faith and Unbelief in a Secular World; 6 sessions with Gregory Eaton at St Ann & the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn Heights;
20 - Training for new Lay Eucharistic Visitors;
22 - Safe Church Training (SHE-CAP) at Mercer.

March

8 - Mercer Institute of Spirituality Inaugural Event: Being Human -
Focusing and Spirituality: exploring a foundational practice for both pastoral conversation and spiritual growth, with Dr. John McDargh of Boston College;
15 - Leadership Day - "Leadership in the 21st Century Church," including presentations on Who Are We as Church?, Vestry Leadership, Clergy Leadership, Good Meetings, Planning for the Future, and more;
19 - Lenten Retreat Evening - the first of three: Come Aside - Silence and Prayer in Lent.

May

3 - 2nd Annual Faith Formation Convocation: a daylong exploration of formation resources from Sunday School through adult education;
31 - Bishop's Youth Bash.

June

14 - Safe Church Training (summer programs/camps);
21 - 50th Wedding Anniverary Celebration.

Further Spring 2014 events are listed on the Mercer Online Calendar.
For further information and registration, visit www.mercerschool.org.  Click from the homepage on Coming Events/Register.  On the calendar, find and click on the event date.  Locate the event title and click directly on it to open information on the event and how to register.  And you can always phone us at 516.248.4800, extension 140.

All these gatherings and more are at your service to help you serve well, to find your call and to live it well.  As Nelson Mandela taught us:

Advent blessings,
John+

(Photo courtesy of Huffington Post: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/15-of-nelson-mandelas-most-inspiring-quotes)