THE HOLY THRESHOLD

This past Sunday, The Right Reverend Peter Eaton, the Bishop of Southeast Florida, made his annual visit to bless and welcome into the fold 18 parishioners for Confirmation and Reaffirmation into The Episcopal Church! This celebratory occasion also marked the first Sunday that our congregation met in its new Church space, Harris Hall, while renovations got underway in our main sanctuary as Phase II of the Capital Campaign. As Fr. Andrew mentioned in his remarks, the Parish Hall is where the first seeds of St. Gregory's were originally planted - the original place people gathered seeking spiritual growth into what has become a thriving community centered in life in Christ. 

The staff and many parishioners all pulled their resources, time, energy, and creativity together over the past several months to re-envision Harris Hall as our church - our sacred space moving forward - before re-entering our sanctuary once renovations are complete. What we encountered this past Sunday for worship was the fruit of the labor of love born in our midst. Collectively, we have curated this space like one curates a room in a museum with a single aim: To God be the Glory! 

We even created our own Anglican version of a mini iconostasis - that icon-filled screen separating the sanctuary from the nave found in Eastern Orthodox Churches dividing the altar and the Holy of Holies where the Eucharist as the manifestation of the New Covenant is performed. The icons on the wall, all written by our own Icon guild led by Brooks Wilson, acts as "the veil of the great Temple of Jerusalem."     

A huge thanks to everyone involved in every aspect of making something ordinary sacred. Just as we bless the food of God's own creation - the bread and the wine - to be ingested into our very own beings to be that blessing for the world, so too do we bless this sacred space as the holy threshold uniting heaven and earth.

May it be so,

Fr. Ben+

Click here to view photos from the day.