Dear friends,
As my incumbency comes to end at St Barnabas, I am increasingly conscious about how grateful I am for it all. The past 10 years have been an adventure in faith and community, as we have sought to join God to love and serve this locality. So much has been accomplished together including the expanding of the music tradition (Choral Scholar Programme; Gospel Choir; relaunch of Junior Choir), the enriching of worship (a single and complete weekly Mass booklet; the rite and vestment of three sacred ministers at High Mass), the planting of a new worshipping community to reach young families (Noisy Mass), the starting of new ministries (Memory Café; Food Pantry and Café) and the pioneering of social justice work in Ealing through community organising (the living wage; affordable housing; special education needs). So much more could be listed!
This is a rich treasure chest of the work of God in the local church. No vicar could ask for more. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support and love for me and my family and especially for your patience and bravery in being willing to step out in faith to try something new with this slightly unconventional parish priest. This is a story I will be proud to share in the coming years.
At the beginning of September, the Churchwardens will meet with the Archdeacon to begin the process of a recruiting a new vicar. This will be your opportunity to tell your story afresh as a faith community and to cast a vision for the future. Remember, that God is with you. Look to the common good and the presence of God in your midst and you can't go wrong.
I leave you with some encouragement from the Book of Ephesians. These words remind us that God is constantly reaching out to us to offer us a home in Christ:
You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all-irrespective of how we got here-in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day-a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (The Message)
With every blessing,
Fr. Justin