A reflection from Rev. Nancy Cox

This fall, your church leaders and fellow parishioners have invited you to reflect on your experience of gratitude by sharing their own stories and stories of our life together. I am grateful and inspired by their willingness to share personal stories of how God is working in their lives.

I am thankful for the generosity you have extended in receiving me back from sabbatical in midst of my difficult personal circumstances. I am mourning my granddaughter, who died before she was born. My son, her father, said simply “I miss her.” I do miss her and will continue to miss her in all that we will not share with her and she with us. I have not been able to share my experiences with the degree of excitement that meets the generosity of your giving me sabbatical time, nor the excitement that many of my experiences generated.

I am grateful to be back in your midst. I love this community and the depth of what we have shared together these past fourteen years. We have been blessed with miracles and rejoiced together. We have also walked through broken dreams and tragedy and supported one another in those times. Many of you have been generous in opening your hearts, even in the midst of grief, so that others going through challenges will know they are not alone. Your generosity of time and support have helped each other and help me.

Generosity makes all aspects of the life of this community of faith possible. We stand on the generosity of people who have gone before us, some of whose names are known, many of whose are not. Their faith, hope and dreams, their generous financial investment has shaped not only the church, but the wider community.

All Saints’ is made up of generous people. Pointing to just one recent example, over $16,000 has been donated to assist those recovering from Hurricane Helene.

As you consider your giving for 2025, the effects of your generosity will go beyond the present moment as well. Generosity is contagious: catch it, spread it!

Blessings,
Nancy+