[Magdalen] Please pray for Ascension, Chicago

[Scott Knitter]

On Sat, Jan 17, 2015 at 5:50 PM, Marion Thompson
<marionwhitevale at gmail.com> wrote:
> I deplore that people leave a place for reasons like staff changes. Is not
> God still there?  Can't people focus on that?

One parishioner sent me a draft of his "resignation" letter, which
recounted his 30 years of service, generous contributions, and gave
the amount of the large bequest he intended to make. My response was
that this letter is obviously from the heart and I can't possibly
suggest any changes, and I hated that he felt he has to leave. But I
personally won't miss his constant dramatics and self-promotion, and
his habit of raising up his own presence as more important in the
parish than anyone else's. He's a grand, talented, passionate,
faithful guy, but I'd really rather not know what someone's monetary
giving amounts to, especially when it's used as a threat (that it'll
be taken away) or a self-glorification (realize how much I've given).
Give, yes. But with one hand only (so the other doesn't know, let
alone any other parishioner knowing).

God is still there and is still in charge. One can stay there and
worship even while dealing with anger at the rector over firing a
friend.


-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA