Stewardship Reflection: Audley Robinson

-”May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be acceptable to you our Rock and our Redeemer.”

-”There is But one commandmentment
LOVE; Love God with all your might and love your neighbour as yourself.”

-”Consider the Lilies of the Valley how they grow. They toil not, Neither do they spin. Yet I say unto you Soloman in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

I  Would like you to reflect on these three opening prayers while I am speaking.

Good Morning my name is Audley Robinson and I have been  member of this faith community since 1997. Sts James and Andrew!

“I was Christened a Baptist, raised a Catholic and received into the Episcopal faith.

As a memebr of our faith community it has been a pleasure to serve in the following ways;
The Vestry,
Barnabus Guild
Treasurer 
Stewardship team
Second Helpings
LEM
Lector
Usher - incedentilally this was one of my first roles.
Shoveled Snow, Moved furnature etc.
Chairman of the nominating committee
To name a few.

Thank you all for allowing me to serve and be a part of this Faith community.
Now that my resume is out of the way!

St James and Andrew is the only space where I really feel safe. Thank you

Being Black and a minority in a majority community, I have had to put on an amour of self love in the knowledhe that God will protect me. Yes! It is a little easier for me because I speak with a funny accent, but even my accent causes people to examine their own preconceived biasies. I am often asked if I am from South Africa or Australia.( I could not possibly be from the mother land!) England, but alas I am.

I have always felt safe here to be myself and to wear my emotions on my sleeves. This is who I am with all my uniqness a Human.

What does it me to be truly human? A member of a race the Humanrace? Imagine the Humanrace as one team in a relay race and this is our leg of that race. The generations who have gone before us passed the batton onto us. As we run this leg of the race what will we be passing onto the next generation of the race. What will be our legacy?

What does all this have to do with Stewardship? You may ask!

The three opeings that I asked you to reflect on all contain elements of my spiritual life and  why this worship space chose me and all of you to fellowship here. From the first time that I walked through the old Red doors that use to adorn the front of the Church in 1997, I knew that I had come Home!
 Our Welcome committee made a point of making my family and I feel wanted and accepted. Thank you!

I also want to thank all of you for your prayers when I needed them the most.

Last year I experienced complications following a hip replacement. Your Love and support through your prayers, rides to Dr appointments and words of encouragement helped me through a very difficult time. Thank you!.

Your prayers showed me the love that God wants for us all, that I am part of a community where words can heal and nurish your soul.

We are surrounded by abundance as Ben reminded us last week in his Sermon. We have shelter, clothes to wear, food to eat. Like the Lilies of the Valley so to are we provided for. We are surrounded by abundance, if we only dear to open our hearts and minds and LOVE.

Finally as you think about stewardship and giving of your time and talents, remember that we are all loved  and it is our leg of the Human Race! What will we pass onto  to the next generation. The next leg of our human race.

Amen


Audley Robinson October 2022
Sts James and Andrew

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