Message from the Senior Warden

May 31, 2020

It’s Time

It’s time is usually short for it’s time to do something or it’s time for something important to happen. Imagine stretching out the term and in your best theatrical voice recognizing an event of importance saying: I-t’-s T-i-m-e. But that phrase is often used for more everyday things: time to get up, time to water the lawn. So how do we know what time it is; is it something important or is it something more run-of the-mill? The answer is it’s often difficult to tell what time it is. In ACTS 1:9, Jesus says: “It is not for you to know times of the seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

So, there is a transcending, all-encompassing, big-picture time known to the Father, and a time frame within that, that we use to get our bearings and establish points of reference. Within our knowledge of time, we mark a major transition in the life of Immanuel as we, within the week, welcome Fr. Travis Hines and his family to Immanuel. As our new rector, he will lead our church. Fr. Tim Howe and Fr. Richard Crocker helped us bridge the gap between Bishop Dave’s departure and Fr. Travis’ arrival. For their willingness to guide us during this period of pandemic, I know we are all very grateful for what Fr. Tim and Fr. Richard have done. We’ve told them they’ll always be part of the Immanuel family (we know Bishop Dave and Mary Ellen already as family).

Great excitement abounds as we prepare to welcome Fr. Travis. And we know that Immanuel has not only survived, but its deep roots into faith went even deeper. My mind darts back and forth thinking about the things that can be in the future. But our planning and our timetables must comport with the seasons that the Father has in place. All the prayers He has answered; is there any reason to believe that with our continued prayer He won’t reveal to us how he wants us to get to where we’re supposed to be in a particular season?

Faithfully,

Rich Garon

Senior Warden