Grace, peace, and electricity to you from God and our recovering power grid,
Everyone has been impacted this week, and signs of God’s love shine through you in the midst of it. Here’s what this has looked like within the life of St. Stephen’s. Lots of our people have had power loss for extended periods, various degrees of damage at home, and the strain of sanity in this mess while continuing to try and care for our loved ones, neighbors, work, and yes…it’s important to take care of ourselves too. This is why we value and build community, so that together we can take turns and share the work to help and also heal. It is a holy thing to rest even in the storm (Jesus did it), but I know the conditions for that have been incredibly difficult for many. Disaster recovery is a marathon that starts with a sprint, so we will need to pace ourselves accordingly.
YOU, the people, are the Church and I know you have been calling and texting and showing up for each other and especially our most vulnerable. Please continue to do so and let our clergy know of the needs through e-mail or the Pastoral Care line – 832-377-6240. We also trust and recommend CrisisCleanup.org for community aid with trees, fences, and so many other resources. Diocesan resources are also available at www.epicenter-prepare.org.
On campus, we have had some significant tree loss and corresponding roof damage in the choir/music room. Our leaders and staff have begun the work of insurance claims and professional repair. We have maintained power and by mid-week, staff was able to open our building as a cooling and charging center for the community. The school community moved quickly to offer space for displaced Montessori Teacher training and get Summer Camp running again for childcare. I celebrate the ways we have been agile and adaptive in the name of welcome and care.
Even as we do this current work of triage and recovery, many of us are also assessing ways we as individuals and as a congregation can be better prepared and resilient in the future. If you have gifts, experiences, and passion for that work…let me know. Life and faith are messy business. Through this and beyond, God goes ahead of us. And yes! we will have Sunday Worship as usual to pray and hold one another in person or online.
In Christ,
Rev. Ashley
Associate Rector