Blog for May 5, 2009

Today is Cinco de Mayo and a time of celebration for those in our Hispanic Community. We are blessed to have many members  that have their roots in Mexico and Latin America and look forward to this day each year. While it is often a day of overindulgence, it is a time for us "Anglos" to give thanks to God for the blessings given to us at St. Anne's by our Hispanic members. We have recently moved our service in Spanish from 5 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Those that come from a different culture find the adjustment to an "English" society and environment difficult. Our job is to help make that transition easier. We can do that by welcoming Hispanics into our lives and into our church. We must also overcome the idea that all Hispanics are illegals or are not hard working. Just like the Anglo congregation, most people in our 1 p.m. service are hard working Americans. Some are on their way towards citizenship, but most are trying to find out how to become more "Americanized" without losing their hispanic roots, family and language.

As Christians we are to reach out to all people in the name of Christ and with his love. We are to treat them as we would treat Jesus. Many might look for ways to engage our hispanic members and others in the community. Perhaps it is just a smile, a friendly hello, a question asking how they are doing. Maybe one might want to try to get to know someone from another culture a little better. Some might seek to learn a little bit of Spanish to try to reach out to those who do not yet speak English well.

We celebrate this 5th of May with our Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ, because they are a part of us and we are a part of them "For we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks (Anglos or Hispanics), slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." 1 Cor. 12:13.

Fr. Roger Grist

Blog for April 30, 2009

With former members of our parish joining in a lawsuit against our diocese and our parish to try to take our properties away from us, it shows again the great divide between those who accept the scriptures as they are written and interpreted by the Church from the beginning, and those who believe that the Bible is just "man's word" and not God's Word. Because they don't accept the Bible as the divinely inspired and trustworthy Word of God then it is not surprising that they would disregard the biblical prohibition against taking fellow Christians to secular court. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 6:1-6 that the world makes a mockery of the Christian Faith and the Church by actions like this.

Not only that, but it seems to matter not that the few that were "displaced" (actually, who chose to leave St. Anne's) would displace from our property the 80+% majority that voted to stay with the Diocese of Fort Worth and  its bishop Jack Iker.

I have been reminding our people that the "Church" is not the building, but rather the people gathered there. While there is a good possibility that we will be able to stay in our current building, if the secular courts rule against us, we will go on as St. Anne's Church in a new location. While it will be difficult to leave our familiar surroundings (should the unthinkable happens) our church (people) will go on and continue to do the work God has called us to do.

We pray for those who place property and buildings above people and who would seek to displace us. We pray for ourselves that we may continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Fr. Roger Grist