A gathering of important moments of “church business”:

Last week, I joined with many of our southeastern Episcopal clergy, along with friends, members, and neighbors of the Church of the Redeemer in Cannon Falls, where Bishop Craig Loya led us in a service of deconsecration of the building. Redeemer was founded just a few years after Calvary was – we were in the same family of parishes planted by Bishop Whipple. For well over 100 years, that small church served its neighbors with love, prayers, outreach, and fellowship. Instead of a sermon, Bishop Loya invited people to share memories and stories. The senior warden, with tears in his eyes, talked about how his great-grandfather quarried the stones that built the church. The quarry is still in his family, now owned by his son. People remembered the music, singing in the children’s choir, going to church with their grandmothers, snowy walks to the church for Christmas Eve service, and stories of their guild hall, a separate building, and how it had served the neighborhood for years with potlucks, rummage sales, 12-step meetings, and other community gatherings. The bishop and clergy stripped the altar and the chancel of all implements after we shared Eucharist; the bishop washed the altar, declared the altar and building deconsecrated in a beautiful prayer, and kissed the altar as he moved to the processional out into the world. It was a lovely, graceful service that was also very difficult and sad as we said goodbye to this holy space. The people of Redeemer carefully and faithfully discerned their decision to close Redeemer. In doing the business of the church, this work is one of the most difficult discernment journeys that we undertake. Nobody wanted to do this, and yet it was absolutely the right action to take for the 5 people who were left in this congregation. It will no longer be an Episcopal church, and at the same time, God is very present in that place and with those faithful few. Nothing lasts forever, and God is with God’s creation every step of the way.

Another piece of the business of the Church is the stewardship of Calvary’s resources: our own beautiful buildings and grounds, our people, old and young, our rich music program led by our wonderful new director of music, Travis Whaley, Sunday School and formation for all ages, and our common worship life, where we so often welcome visitors from all over to pray with us in our sacred space. It is pledge season. Thank you to all who have made your financial pledge to God’s work at Calvary in 2026. If you are still in your own discernment about your contribution of treasure and your time, I bless that and hope that you will be able to contribute financially and with your own gifts and skills, so that our Vestry can formulate a good budget to work with next year, and so that the Calvary community can fully benefit from all that we bring to the table in our own ministries.

A third piece of church business is the annual convention of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, which happens this coming Friday and Saturday in Rochester at the civic center. While we have delegates who will be considering many issues and elections and voting, all are invited to attend to observe and walk through the many interesting exhibits. Please thank our delegates for their ministry in this church business, and their time: Darren Cooper, Elizabeth Larsen, Casey Caldwell, David Reiman, Ellen Youngers, and Martha Mangan. Next week, we will report on what happened. Please keep this meeting in your prayers.

Thanks be to God for “church business,” for it is in the work of the church that we listen for the Holy Spirit to guide and nudge us to do the things God is calling us to do.

In gratitude for you,