Dear Friends,
Printed above my words here is the Huguenot Cross, the symbol of our spiritual ancestors who founded this Parish in 1688. One striking aspect of the Huguenot Cross design is that it always includes the sign of the Holy Spirit, the dove descending. This design strongly proclaims that the Faith in Jesus (the Cross) continues to be enriched by our ongoing experience of the Holy Spirit – our source of insight and perseverance. It is this openness to change to the ongoing insights of the Spirit that led to the Reformation of the 16th Century. We are the heirs to that Reformation, both through the French Huguenots, and through the Church of England, which the Parish joined in 1709. Those spiritual ancestors worshipped together, read their Bibles, and prayed so that they might understand the guidance of the Sprit in their day, and might respond to that inspiration in their daily lives. Those spiritual ancestors shared their faith and passed it along to their children, and to others who joined the Parish.
This is now a culturally diverse Parish with parishioners from many nations. We struggle to live out the Faith in our own day. Like those Huguenot ancestors, we worship together, read our Bibles, and pray that we might understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our era. We offer a sense of community in this mobile society. In our historic Church we offer worship “in the beauty of holiness.” In our Parish House we provide religious education for youth and adults, community gatherings, and outreach to those in need.
Remember that dove descending in the Huguenot Cross and come join us to be available to the Spirit. Come rejoice in the vitality of life in the Spirit.
In Christ’s Love,
Fr. Robert E. Gahler +
Design: The Huguenot Cross, courtesy of The Huguenot Society Website.
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