“And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

Beloved saints of Trinity,

As we prepare for our first gathering tomorrow, I am struck by these words of Jesus to his disciples in the gospel appointed for Easter 5. Situated in what many scholars categorize as the beginning of Jesus’ “farewell discourse” before his death, resurrection, and ascension, I find it helpful to focus on the instructions he left for his followers. Even before he underwent the suffering of the cross, Jesus was planning for what life would be like for his friends after he was no longer with them, walking and eating, laughing and praying. And many believe that this gospel, more so than any other, was “written so that you may believe.” You and me, some 2,000 years later, in Concord, Massachusetts. And during this transition, I pray that these words Jesus spoke to his disciples so long ago rest in your hearts as you prepare the way for your next Rector, with me. I am so excited to be with you during these next months; to listen and pray together, to plan and tend to the fertile soil that is in this faith community. You are beloved, Trinity, and I am honored to walk alongside you during this time.

In peace,

Jodi+

Image Attribution:

Christ True Vine (Tilemahos Efthimiadis), 16th-century icon in the Byzantine and Christian Museum (Athens), used with permission from creative commons.