Send us now into the world in peace

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I inform you that I am resigning as Rector of St. John’s-Grace.  My parents, Fred and Ellen, have moved from Buffalo to South Carolina, close to my sisters’ homes where they have found a more suitable living arrangement.  My wife, Karen, has accepted a tenure-track contract at SUNY Potsdam, near our home in Canada.  Karen has also been caring for her parents in Canada.  After a period of prayer and discernment, Karen and I have decided we need to be together in our home in Ontario.  Sunday, August 15th, 2021, will be my last day in parish.

In reflecting on our three years together at St. John’s-Grace, I am very grateful for all of the blessings I have received from the people of the parish.  We have opened our doors and loved and served our neighbors.  We have worshipped God in our beautiful sanctuary in prayer and song.  We have welcomed little ones into the Body of Christ through the sacrament of baptism.  We have celebrated weddings with the young people and blessed their marriages.  We have laid hands on the sick.  We have celebrated the lives of our loved ones who died and comforted one another in our time of mourning.  We have confessed our sins before God and proclaimed forgiveness. Finally, we have broken bread together in the Holy Eucharist. 

In loving and serving one another in Jesus’ name, we have experienced the real presence of Christ.  This is the work of the whole church and the Grace flowing through the church to the whole world.   I encourage you to continue this blessed mission.  It will continue and the Grace will flow from St. John’s-Grace.  I am grateful for the love we have shared and the blessings I have received from everyone.  I ask that you please pray for me and Karen.  I will surely continue to pray for all of you.

Let us think of parting as a continuation of our shared life in the Body of Christ, as in the post-Communion prayer from Common Worship:

Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Every Blessing,

Jon

Rev’d Jon Lavelle, Rector
St. John’s-Grace