Tacoma, WA 98465
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,”
because apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NRSV
I suppose it’s natural as one’s vestry service ends to reflect on one’s tenure. Truly, the past three years have been unlike any I can remember in my 40-year association with St. An- drew’s. Over the decades, I have seen economic difficulties, 
struggles with defining our mis- sion, and rectors come and go. But I’ve never seen us close our doors and stop gathering for worship. Indeed, the last two years have been particularly bizarre!
Yet, we have endeavored to live into our mission to know Christ and to make Christ known in the midst of much uncertainty. And where, in insecure times, are we Christians to turn, both personally and corporately as a parish, but to Christ?
Jesus described His relationship to us through metaphors. He is a Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, a Vine. Pondering these images, the Vine metaphor best illumines my experience as a vestry member. For me, the metaphor of the vine encapsulates the transformational relationship between God, Jesus, and our parish community: God the Father is the owner of the vineyard, indeed its Creator; Jesus is the Vine; and each of us at St. Andrew’s is a branch.
I know little about vineyards but find the metaphor fitting for parish oversight. A vineyard grapples with uncontrollable events like weather, blight, and soil quality that impact the quality and quantity of the harvest. Drought is anathema to an abundant yield, aphids can wreak havoc, and drainage is vitally important. Tending a vineyard involves removing barren branches and pruning productive ones. Thus, cultivating a vineyard involves consistent and thoughtful attention, lest the branches wither and become fruitless. So, too, with a church.
Over these past three years, St. Andrew’s has weathered severe challenges as we confront- ed a disease which spawned a pandemic that changed the social fabric underlying our daily operations. We pruned our budget to adjust to revenue changes and restricted our in-person services to comply with public health directives. And we continued our seasonal pruning of leadership as vestry membership changed, and as we addressed the unexpected loss of our rector. Yet we met our financial obligations and our community—our blessed little corner of the vineyard—has been productive. We have been stressed, but we have not lost our way.
The heart of a vineyard lies in its vines, for branches shrivel without a vine to provide the water and nutrients necessary for their nurture. Jesus is the Vine through which we at St. Andrew’s receive spiritual nourishment via the Holy Spirit. Our souls, individually and as a spiritual community, wither without Him. And so we come together as a parish to acknowledge our dependency upon God, to express our gratitude for our blessings, to seek solace and relief as needed, and to nurture one another as best we can. We do this through our sacraments, and our ministries, and by making Christ known as branches of His vine.
The measure of a branch is the quality of its fruit. And the greatest fruit Jesus would have us produce is to love one another as He loved us (John 15:17). We are not just receivers of God’s love but are commanded to share that love. And St. Andrew’s allows us to do that in ways that exceed our abilities to do so individually. Consider that last year we distributed over $28,000 to local community service organizations overwhelmed by the pandemic. To ease the resettlement of Afghan refugees, we donated enough boxes of home-goods to fill our chapel. We welcomed our Muslim neighbors, with whom we share kinship as children of Abraham, into our midst during their time of need. And our prayer ministry actively supports both members and non-members undergoing trying times. Over the years, we have supported numerous candidates for ministry as deacons and priests. The list of the examples of Christ’s love made manifest through St. Andrew’s goes on . . . and you each are part of that story, each a branch of Jesus’s Vine.
With Fr. Martin retiring, some might think we face a crisis as things cannot continue as they have been. But the Chinese character for the word “crisis” is a fusion of their characters for “danger” and “opportunity”, and the encouraging response to our recent pledge drive suggests to me that St. Andrew’s is ready to support the opportunity to extend our abilities to make Christ known. With Fr. Tom as our Interim Priest in Charge, I believe we are poised to embrace an exciting time in our parish history as we engage our challenges and changes.
The call from our vestry will come shortly for our assistance in seeking a new rector. Some will be invited to serve on committees to update our parish profile or to evaluate and recommend a rector aspirant. Please prayerfully consider such service. All of us will be asked to provide feedback about the current state and future directions of St. An- drew’s. Please promptly respond to these requests and share your perceptions. All voices are needed in order to accurately reflect whom St. Andrew’s is and whom we wish to be- come to any candidate considering God’s call to be our rector.
During my tenure on the vestry, I have learned that our parish mission is a succinct summary of the Gospel that encompasses the hallmarks of a covenant between us and God —a gift, a blessing and an obligation. Jesus has benevolently bestowed upon us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are blessed with a vibrant community in which we genuinely care for one another. And we have assumed an obligation to move forward so “To know Christ and to make Christ known”. I have faith that we, God willing, shall continue our endeavors to do so.