The Rev’d Canon Bill Krizner, Canon for Missions & Evangelism
He Has Risen Indeed! We shouted this joyous phrase from the top of our lungs at the Great Easter Vigil only a week ago but what does His glorious resurrection mean in your life this morning? Paul writes the following introduction within his letter to the Romans: “Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus.” In other words, Easter means living His life–one full of freedom and grace–but also fulfilling the urgent task of sharing the Gospel with others so that they may know our same joy.
It is Easter and it is the greatest of seasons to be part of the great work that Christ is doing through Missions & Evangelism at St. Peter’s. Each year, we invite the entirety of the Cathedral to take part together in a special event called Avodah Day. And, no, Avodah is not the funny punchline in the Hakuna Matata song from The Lion King! Avodah is an old Hebrew word that means to work, worship, and serve our God in every aspect of our lives. For us at St. Peter’s, Avodah Day is a truly wonderful time each year where we celebrate God’s goodness with our Tallahassee neighbors by sharing in fun, food, and fellowship. At last year’s event, we had more than 250 of our parishioners share Christ’s love at the Good Samaritan Network Village. This year, we will be joining our friends at Maryland Oaks, a supported neighborhood within the Good News Outreach ministry.
Next weekend, on Saturday, April 30th, we will be serving food, providing a Backyard Bible Study for the children, planting flowers and bushes, doing basic repairs, and beginning new relationships with folks from the more than 100 homes within the neighborhood. The event begins at 11am and concludes at 2pm. It is a great day for children, teens, and adults all to come together to share in this work. We will be assigning teams of parishioners to work the varying stations and have a registration table outside by the coffee stand this morning but also welcome you to sign up electronically StPetersFL.com/Avodah.
Avodah Days are indeed only one-day events but have already proven to be incredible starting blocks for building much deeper and sustainable relationships with people that do not know Christ or who need the encouragement of God’s Church. Your participation this year is truly critical in helping St. Peter’s in reaching the City of Tallahassee for Christ. Please prayerfully consider giving of your time next Saturday morning to be part of God’s unveiling Kingdom. In Paul’s words, living a faithful life of Christ means to be brimming over with His generosity and love for the people. This year’s Avodah Day helps all of us live more fully into such a blessed call. Please join us!