From the Dean’s Desk: ‘Recalculating’

             

In 2006 I was fortunate enough to receive a Lilly Foundation Sabbatical. My family and I enjoyed it immensely. We travelled and experienced so many wonderful opportunities. The theme for that Sabbatical was ‘Revisit, Reflect, Renew’. I came up with this theme having been at my previous congregation for eleven years at the time. It was definitely a time to step away and visit some long forgotten spaces, reflect and hopefully return renewed and refreshed. 

Interestingly, I returned only to be elected Dean of Trinity Cathedral in 2006.

God works in mysterious ways and we are blessed to be along for the journey. 

I trust many of you are familiar with the term, ‘recalculating’. Surely if you have used a navigation system you are very familiar. The word recalculating used to freak me out at first. Especially since if it appeared, it meant somehow I had missed my turn and was heading in the wrong direction. Eventually I made my peace with the word, realizing that yes, whilst I might have missed my turn, if I remained focused and calm I would hopefully be back on track. God willing, I would soon be once again headed in the right direction. Sometimes that wasn’t always the case as soon as I hoped. 

My friends, as I contemplate the days ahead ‘recalculating’ seems a very pertinent word. I suspect the Cathedral will also be doing some recalculating of its own. My dear wife Andrea and I thank the Cathedral community for the wonderful opportunity to journey with you these many years. Thank you for beautiful memories.

In these turbulent times we are living I suspect we will all be in a constant state of ‘recalculating’. 

The Rev. Cameron Trimble in a recent article wrote:
“Our resistance will not look like a single dramatic uprising. It will look like a thousand small refusals to let fear decide who we are and who we might become.”

I wish each and every one of you the very best, and pray that whatever comes along, God will guide us to be unafraid of ‘recalculating’.

 

Faithfully in Christ,

 

 

 

The Very Reverend Rene John,
Dean