If you asked me 2 ½ years ago when we first started attending this church why we support All Saints, I would have said, “It’s simple, the Sunday morning liturgy”. The beautiful music, the communion, the sacraments, the thoughtful sermons.
But really, liturgy comes from the word that means “work of the people”, or “public work”. And there is a second type of liturgy that All Saints also does so well: the 7 day a week, outside of the sanctuary liturgy, which is really the reason the past two years that we have come to support and want to be a part of All Saints.
Just think about this “liturgy” during the COVID pandemic. When the rest of the world seemed to be closing down, you continued to meet for book clubs, for Courageous Conversations. You figured out how to continue the eucharist, safely, outside. You hired a new family minister and actually expanded the family outreach services. You increased donations to the Brookline Food Pantry, and to clothing drives. The MANNA ministry not only continued but doubled its output. So, while the rest of the world seemed to be contracting, and hoarding things like toilet paper and food, this community was thinking and giving outward.
So, for all you have done over these past 2 years, I think you deserve a raise! In fact, when you pledge this year, I hope you give yourselves one. I really do hope that we can continue to fund and to support our Sunday morning liturgy. But, over this next year I hope we can continue to support and even expand our work of the people, our liturgy to the outside world and to the greater community.