A message from The Rev’d Lyn McRostie, Rector of Northwood – September 2011

Posted by Admin on 27 August 2011, 1:24 pm

 

 

 

It’s with mixed emotions that I write this month’s letter and share with you the news that I am moving on. I have been offered and have accepted the position of Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Holy Cross in Elizabeth, South Australia (Diocese of Adelaide). I shall be going out there in November.

 

For me this appointment is a gift to be treasured as I approach the later years of my ministry and it’s the completion of a circle. My vocation was nurtured in Australia; I was ordained here and now I shall be going home, back to my home state and to my home city, taking with me the wealth of experience I have gained in this country and particularly the experiences I have had here on the Island.

 

It’s amazing to me that 5 years have passed since I arrived. The time has gone very quickly – as will the next 3 months.
Reflecting on the past 5 years and thinking about my ministry in the context of all who have preceded me – and will follow me – I recalled some wise words from the late Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero.

 

Writing about the very challenging task of creating the church of tomorrow he said this:
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom [of God] is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

 

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

 

With every blessing

 

Lyn

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Do you know of someone who would appreciate a visit by the church? Or would you, yourself, like to meet and talk with someone from the church? Please let Lyn know or contact one of the Churchwardens whose details are given in Northwood News and in the Parish Church Officers section of this website.

We’re happy to meet with you, to bring communion to you if you cannot come to church – or to explore with you if you just want to know more about the Christian faith. We are always here for you – because that’s what we’re about!

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