Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love incarnate, love divine;

Worship we our Jesus:

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love shall be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and to all people,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rossetti.

Nativity Prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Let Your goodness Lord appear to us, that we

made in your image, conform ourselves to it.

In our own strength

we cannot imitate Your majesty, power, and wonder

nor is it fitting for us to try.

But Your mercy reaches from the heavens

through the clouds to the earth below.

You have come to us as a small child,

but you have brought us the greatest of all gifts,

the gift of eternal love

Caress us with Your tiny hands,

embrace us with Your tiny arms

and pierce our hearts with Your soft, sweet cries.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan

Earth stood hard as iron

Water like a stone

Snow had fallen

Snow on snow on snow

In the bleak midwinter

Long, long ago

Angels and Arc Angels

May have traveled there

Cherubim and Seraphim

Thronged the air

But only his Mother

In her maiden bliss

Worshiped the beloved

With a kiss

What can I give him?

Poor as I am

If I were a shepherd

I would give a lamb

If I were a wise man

I would do my part

But what I can I give him

Give him my heart

Give him my heart

Candle liturgy

Hope, peace, joy, and love. Four candles, four promises continually offered to us by God, and all of them manifest in this one we light tonight: the Christ candle. In Christ we find the hope of transformation, the peace that follows justice, the joy of self-fulfillment in community, and the love that encompasses us in all our diversity, empowering us to make our own unique contribution to this world. In Christ we find light and life, and the courage to be like him, answering his call and following in his footsteps.

We rejoice in God’s steadfast presence in our lives,

and in God’s unique presence in the life of Jesus of Nazareth—

born of Mary, growing through childhood into an adult ministry,

in all his life manifesting the peace, love, and justice of God;

his voice undimmed by the centuries

his call and his promise as clear to us as it was to his disciples so long ago.

Come to us, Lord Jesus,

Be born in us this night, in our hearts, our minds, our lives.

May the light of your life be kindled in us,

And lead us to the shining truth,

of God with us, God for us, God in us. Amen.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

Last week we looked at the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary and informing her that the Spirit will come upon her and that she will bear God’s son. Mary does not fully understand God’s plan, but is open to be a part of it. Her reply is “Here I am a servant of the Lord; let it be according to your will.” Mary has a sense that she is a part of something really important and agrees to follow God’s plan. God enters the world as fully human and fully divine in the person of Jesus Christ. That is one of the foundations of understanding Christianity and it isn’t easy for any of us. But as good as all this sounds, the reality is that things were tough for Mary. She would have to deal with those who would judge her in her community. Having a baby out of wedlock could get you stoned to death. Mary was in a tough spot.

In a world besieged by fear and hate, God comes from heaven to earth through Mary to bring light into the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ comes again and again and offers wholeness instead of brokenness, hope instead of fear, love instead of hate, and life instead of death. In a time when some of us remember the loss of someone we love, when some of us are recovering from an illness, when most of us are tired of wearing masks, and when many of us do not feel as joyful as we should, Jesus Christ comes to offer us comfort. We are all offered the incarnational presence and love of our Lord. Last week I spoke of being open to God’s plan. This week, I am asking you to say yes to it. We can say, “Here I am Lord, May it be according to your will or no thanks, maybe next time.”

In today’s Gospel, Mary sets out for the hill country to Zachariah and Elizabeth’s house. Mary needs support from the rumors and judgmental pressures of her community. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth is joyful about the news that Mary is pregnant. The baby in her womb, who will later be named John, jumps for joy in her womb. This prayer has been called the Magnificat or Song of Mary. Mary echoes the promises that were given by the prophets in the Old Testament and declares that God’s promises are about to be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. I can’t even imagine the sheer joy and wonder of being given such an honor as to be the theotokos or bearer of God’s son. Elizabeth will bear a son in three months, fulfilling a promise made to Zachariah in last week’s Gospel.

Mary will soon bear a son that will be the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. This is Good News in difficult times. God comes to ordinary people and does extraordinary things. This time, God comes to a woman to bring hope to the world. Mary and Elizabeth are filled with joy because they believe in a dream in the scriptures that one day, things would be different. Maybe one day, those who are hurting will be comforted. God is about to send his Son to rescue the poor, the hurting, and the oppressed. For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only son that all who believe in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. God is coming soon to fulfill the promises that God has made. For the women, waiting for the birth of their childen is filled with joy, wonder and thankfulness. Mary shouts,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.

  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

  and holy is his name. 

His mercy is for those who fear him

  from generation to generation… 

He has helped his servant Israel,

  in remembrance of his mercy, 

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

  to Abraham and to his descendants forever”(Luke1:46-55).

May it be according to your Word,

Fr. Duncan

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Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your Word” (Luke 1:35-38).

Our collect for the third Sunday in Advent begins, “Stir up thy power, and with great might come among us.” In this week’s Old Testament reading from Zephaniah, we hear the words, “The Lord is in your midst.” In the letter to the Philippians Paul tells us, “The Lord is near.” John the Baptist says in Luke, “One who is more powerful than I is coming…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

All our readings point to the one who is coming from the realm of the eternal to the realm of the temporal. We are asked to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. Last week we set the story in its historical setting that you might believe.

This week, the crowds in Luke’s Gospel ask, “What then should we do?”

I want to jump ahead a bit in the Gospel readings to use Mary as an example of the answer to this question. Mary was told that nothing is impossible with God. Although she cannot wrap her mind around the incarnation, she is willing to be a part of God’s plan. This is the key to spiritual development. It is natural to question what we cannot understand intellectually. Mary asks, “How can this be?” More and more folks today are spiritual and not religious. They do not understand the incarnation and close their mind to the possibility that Jesus came from the realm of the eternal to be near to us. We are asked to be part of God's “plan” (or Word). We need to be at least open to the possibility that Jesus is God incarnate. God asks us to be part of his “plan” (or Word). We only need to be open to the possibility that Jesus is God incarnate.

Today’s readings not only point to the existence of God, they point to God coming near to us. Jesus comes again and again that we might be in personal relationship with him. Timothy Keller helps us understand this in our December bible study book, Hidden Christmas. “What are the elements of a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus? It requires, as does any close relationship, that you communicate with him regularly, candidly, lovingly. That means not simply saying your prayers, but having a prayer life that leads to real communion with God, a sense of his presence in your heart and life. On the other hand, being in close relationship means he communicates with you. That comes from a deep acquaintance with the bible.” (Hidden Christmas p. 55)

John the Baptist helps us with the next step, “In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise’” (Luke 3:7). On Sunday, December 12th, we will share with the Huntington community, the fruits of the Harvest Fair. Fran and Chris will meet after the 10:00 service in the St. Hilda’s Guild Room and decide how we will support nonprofit organizations in our community. Please join us.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 

And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, 

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 12:2-6).

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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“May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you forever” (Advent Blessing).

In the Advent season, we wait in joyous expectation for the birth of Christ. We shift our attention from worrying about the problems that face us to a crude manger in Bethlehem, where all of God’s promises are fulfilled. We shift from thinking about scarcity to the abundance that we have from God. Please take time to relax in this busy season and journey with all of us at St. John’s to Bethlehem. Our theme this season is Joy. My blessing for you this Sunday is that you will be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Last week we talked about being in right relationship with one another. In our vulnerability, God is able to show his love and mercy through the one born in a lowly manger. We need to just take a short rest from our worries and look away from the darkness into the light. Advent is a time when we realize the one who loves us deeply is coming again. It is a time when we deepen our relationships by calling others and listening to both their pain and joy. We take the time to visit with our family, co-workers and friends. We remember one another through cards, presents, and social media.

Advent is a time when we give of ourselves to others as Christ gave of himself to us. We bring about the coming of the kingdom of God by looking beyond ourselves. We pray for one another and help the poor and needy where we can. I have asked each member of St. John’s to draw closer to our Lord in the coming year. Please consider deepening your faith in Christ by loving God and one another. The best way to get started is to pray to God that your heart may be kindled again and that you will be steadfast in faith.

The St. John’s Youth Group will be delivering wreaths, flowers, and poinsettias on Saturday, December 4th, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm & Sunday, December 5th, 8:30 am to 12 noon. This fund raiser supports our youth on mission trips and youth events. The ECW is collecting money for the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s Adopt-A-Family Program for Christmas for the next two Sundays. Join us for an Advent Retreat "Four Advent Words from the Giver of the Gift" with Rev. Dr. John McGinty on Saturday, December 4th, 9:30 to 11:30 am on Zoom. Our Advent series, “Preparing the Way: Listening for God in the Borders of our World" will continue this Tuesda, December 7th with Jeanne Provenzano, Attorney. Please join us for Evening Prayer at 6:30 pm and our Advent Program from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Bible study continues with the Nativity in the Gospel of Luke and the book Hidden Christmas by Timothy Keller. It will be held Monday nights at 6:30 pm and Tuesday mornings at 11:00 am. There will be a LIGMC concert on Sunday, December 12th at 7:00 pm and our Sing Noel Concert on Sunday, December 19th at 7:30pm.

Lastly, I want to make a special request from the Altar Guild. They are looking for a few new members to care for the altar. It is a profoundly rewarding ministry to serve preparing the Lord’s altar. Please contact me if you are interested in more information.

In Christ's Love,

Fr. Duncan

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Christ Our Servant King

Next week, we will be in Advent, where we wait and prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, our King. But, just who is this Jesus, the King?

Daniel Clendenin tells us that the birth of Jesus signaled that God would "bring down rulers from their thrones" (Luke 1:52). In Mark's gospel the very first words that Jesus spoke announced that "the kingdom of God is at hand" (1:15). John's gospel takes us to the death of Jesus, and the political theme is the same. Jesus was dragged to the Roman governor's palace for three reasons, all political: "We found this fellow subverting the nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:1–2).

Jesus announced that He is King and that the rulers of the world are not. We know that as humans we are prone to sin and under those circumstances our own human leadership would be filled with endless political strife and rebellions, which, in fact, is what we see in today’s world. The Israelites yearned for God to provide kings to lead and protect them, and maybe just make things easier for them, but those leaders, always ended up falling short of the goal of bringing peace and justice to their world.

The visions that Daniel has in this week’s reading trace the rise and fall of some of the greatest political kingdoms known throughout history: Babylon, Persia, Greece and finally Rome. But Daniel foretells of a king whose kingdom is not ethnically, spatially, or temporally limited. God’s kingdom is an everlasting dominion, not destined to pass away. Daniel goes on to say in verse 14 that peoples of all nations and of every language are welcome to worship the one true ruler of all the kings of the earth.

Christ, our King taught the disciples how to pray in the Lord’s prayer when he said. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." People who live and pray this way have a very different agenda than Caesar's. They enter a kingdom, pledge their allegiance to a ruler, and submit to the reign of Christ the King.

Jesus is a prophet, priest, and king. When he walked this earth, he didn’t look like a powerful ruler, yet he modeled a much more meaningful and effective kind of leadership as a servant king – one who welcomes, loves, and cares for all people. May we, at St. John’s continuing to walk in faith, love, and service side by side all those we meet in our community, persevere in modeling our lives after Christ our Servant King.

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“Our church, which has been fighting in these years only for its self-preservation, as though that were an end in itself, is incapable of taking the word of reconciliation and redemption to mankind and the world. Our earlier words are therefore bound to lose their force and cease, and our being Christians today will be limited to two things; prayer and righteous action among men. All Christian thinking, speaking, and organizing must be born anew out of this prayer and action…It is not for us to prophesy the day (although the day will come) when people will once more be called so to utter the word of God that the world will be changed and renewed by it. It will be a new language, perhaps quite non-religious, but liberating and redeeming – as was Jesus’ language; it will shock people and yet overcome them by its power; it will be the language of a new righteousness and truth, proclaiming God’s peace with people and the coming of his kingdom…Till then the Christian cause will be a silent and hidden affair, but there will be those who pray and do right and wait for God’s own time.”

– Letters and Papers from Prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer-

Although some might complain, I feel that we live in a wonderful country and that we have a fabulous church. I give thanks for the freedoms we have and give thanks for those who have defended this great nation and for those who have kept the faith. Please join me in service on Sunday at 8:00 or 10:00 and give thanks to those who have served this country and defended our freedom.

My mom was born in Germany and her grandfather suffered persecution from the Nazis for refusing to give in to Hitler. He was taken into custody and tortured for refusing to reveal the names of the Jews that worked for him at the Berlin Broadcasting Company. He later died of a gunshot to the head. My grandfather was forced to give up the company and come to America or face the same persecution. The bad news in our lessons today is that there are forces of evil in the world ready to destroy us and what we believe in. The Good News is that if we have faith, we have the blessed hope of everlasting life.

In today’s Gospel, the disciples comment on the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. Jesus points to the temple and says, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left there upon another: all will be thrown down.” Some of you might know that the temple at the time of Jesus was beautifully adorned. Josephus describes the temple as such, “whatever was not overlaid with gold was purest white” (Josephus, Jewish War 5.5.6). King Herod the Great had lavishly adorned the temple with gold. In the year 70 C.E. the Romans, under Titus, burned the temple to the ground and destroyed it. Not a stone in the temple was left unturned. Gold was removed from each stone before laying it to waste. Josephus speaks of these terrible years in Jerusalem as the Zealots fought against the Romans and at times against their own people. There was starvation and suffering and lots of grim stories. When Jesus spoke in front of the temple, it was beyond the imagination of the disciples that something so beautiful would be destroyed in their lifetime. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!”* And they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

I am thankful for this beautiful church at St. John’s and all the wonderful people that attend here. Yet I do not take for granted that all churches in America will survive. Attendance at church is in a steep decline in New York and in the Episcopal Church because folks have moved on to other priorities. Continue to utter the word of God that the world will be changed and renewed by it. Spread the language of a new righteousness and truth, proclaiming God’s peace with people and the coming of his kingdom. I urge you to continue to support this church and have faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. St. John’s will continue to thrive because we are doing God’s work in Huntington and you want that ministry to continue.

In Christ’s love,
Fr. Duncan

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In this week’s Gospel, Mary comes to Jesus. She knelt at his feet and said to him,

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:32-44).

The real question I have for you today is: Are you open to the mystery of God and the unimaginable ability for the Gospel to transform our lives? Where will you be when you emerge from this Covid 19 cave? We live in a world filled with hate and there are always factions drawing each of us against one another. We are faced with forces that draw us from the love of God and the love of one another. We must believe that the Gospel has the power to turn us ever so slightly from our current trajectory to the Kingdom of God. To do that we must face the fact that we need to turn from the dead areas of our lives and the darkness of the cave we sometimes live in and walk into the light. How does our Lord come to the dead areas of your life and call you to come out? What is the tomb of your life? There are factors that bind all of us and limit us. Hate, violence, selfishness, the need for power and excessive money are examples of things that bind us and limit us. Warren Wiersbe once said that “God doesn’t bless us just to make us happy. God blesses us to make us a blessing (to each other).”

At St. John’s we have a wonderful family of people that are a blessing to one another. At St. John’s, we want to bring people to newness of life through the teachings of Jesus Christ and in the sacraments. We are a Christ centered church that values tradition, yet moves forward in the Holy Spirit. During our stewardship campaign, many people have witnessed why they love St. John’s and what brings them joy. We have something special here at St. John’s. It is the love of Christ. Our parish is dedicated, “to know Christ and to make him known.” We are trying to live in the present reality as we move towards the kingdom of heaven. The political environment may make us a little anxious, but our faith is the rock that never moves. Please love God and one another as Jesus Christ loves us. We have something very special here at St. John’s. Giving your time, talent, and treasure brings both you and this community to a place where we can minister to our children, the poor, the sick, and the thirsty. Giving of ourselves for the sake of others literally ushers in the coming kingdom.

On Sunday, we will celebrate All Saints' Day, the Holy Eucharist, Baptism and Loyalty Sunday. We will reaffirm our own commitment to Christ in the Baptismal Covenant. I ask each of you to first commit yourselves to Christ and then to turn in your pledge card during the offertory. If you are out of town, please mail your pledge card to the office by November 14th. Please join us for this very special Sunday and give generously to St. John’s.

In Christ’s love,

Rev. Duncan Burns

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“Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross

that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace:

So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love,

may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you;

for the honor of your Name” (BCP p. 101).

When we are transformed by the love of God, our heart overflows with that love. This transformation occurs both through our will and through the will of God. When you love because you are loved, there is more energy and more patience. When you love because you are loved, you are thankful for everything you have. Hospitality and generosity just become second nature to us. Helping others can become refreshing and rejuvenating because the love, mercy, and grace of God flow through us. We bring others to the love of God by allowing our hearts to overflow with that love. Bringing others to believe in the power and love of God is not about understanding theology. In fact, the details of our theology have caused us to fight with ourselves for centuries. We are not Christians because we think the right way. What really counts is the love in our hearts. Right thought without right actions to your neighbor is the problem that Jesus had with the Pharisees.

The Harvest Fair was a beautiful example of how St. John’s spreads the love of God. Many parishioners gave of their time, talent, and treasure. Chris Boccia and Fran Gorman deserve our sincere thanks for a job well done. They have worked tirelessly for months organizing and preparing for this event. I would also like to thank everyone else that helped out. We worked together like a family to help those in need in our community. The community supports St. John’s because we support the Community. The ECW will send the majority of the proceeds earned and donated at the Harvest Fair and give that money to worthy local charities. Please finish our work by attending our next ECW meeting and help us to support those most in need in our community.

Today we celebrate the second week of our Stewardship Campaign. Please place your pledge card in the offering plate or mail it to 12 Prospect St., Huntington, NY 11743. Stewardship should be a joyful celebration of giving back to God what God has already given us. We use the gifts that God has given us to do the work God is calling us to do. God will never ask you to do anything unless God provides the means for you to do it. You should give proportionately to God what God has given to you. If you have time, give of your time. If you have talent, give of your talent. If you have treasure, give of your treasure. God wants to bring you to wholeness in your life. Give from your heart and St. John’s will serve this community with generosity as we have for the past 276 years.

In gratitude for God’s gifts and yours, we ask you to prayerfully consider your annual giving pledge. The only way our Vestry can develop a responsible budget each year is by knowing how much financial income we can expect from each of our member households. Your regular contribution is vital to our ministry. If you have not already sent in your pledge card, make your pledge now using our secure online form:

https://onrealm.org/stjohnshuntington/AddPledge/stewardship

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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This week, we sent out our annual pledge cards so that the vestry could plan the budget for next year. I humbly ask you to pray about your stewardship at St. John’s, fill out your pledge card, and send it to the office. Stewardship should be a joyful celebration of giving back to God what God has already given us. “God’s initiative is always to bless, and that blessing is never earned, it is freely given. This year at St. John’s you will hear witness to the joy that many people have found at St. John’s. I ask you to think about the joy that you have received and write down one word at the entrance to the church. We will have poster board and magic markers to collect your thoughts, To worship God is to offer something of value. We offer praise and thanksgiving not only with our lips but with our lives. The annual pledge campaign can be an opportunity to bless God and bless the community from the offerings of the labor of our lives. Through our commitment to proportional giving, we offer a pledge of thanksgiving for all we have received and for all we will become as we grow into the image of Christ” (Blessed to be a blessing).

This Saturday, we ask for all members of St. John’s to support our Harvest Fair. We ask you to come to church and enjoy some great baked goods, soups, chili and cheese. If you are available, stop by at 6:00PM tonight or 9:00AM on Saturday and help out. If you are a newcomer, please come down and feel the joy and family comradery that exists at St. John’s. Our ECW gives a tremendous amount to local charities each year after the fair. Help us, to help others.

Give of your time, talent and treasure to God because you truly believe that Christ died that you might have abundant life. When a heart is filled with the love of God, the desire to give a portion back comes from deep within, not from a rational sense of obligation. We use the gifts that God has given us to do the work God is calling us to do. God will never ask you to do anything unless God provides the means for you to do it. You should give proportionately to God what God has given to you. If you have time, give of your time. If you have talent, give of your talent. If you have treasure, give of your treasure. God wants to bring you to wholeness in your life. Give from your heart and St. John’s will serve this community with generosity as we have for the past 276 years. Both for the individual and for the community, stewardship is a joyful act for the sake of God's world. Please give joyfully from your heart. God is well pleased when we give in this manner and will provide everything we need to do the work that God calls us to do.

God’s abundance is a feeling that what you do matters and that your life has meaning. God’s abundance includes our worship, our music, our pastoral care and our physical buildings and property. In a time of despair and worry, God offers hope and contentment. In a time of enmity and separation, God offers love and unification. In a time of uncertainty, God offers us eternal life. By the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we know that God’s unending love for us is real and that God’s promises are true. I urge you to see your life as a precious gift from God and to give of your time, talent and treasure accordingly.

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Duncan

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