Annual Appeal 2021

Beloved in Christ,
It’s different this year.
It’s not like it was BC – Before Covid. It’s hard. Things
keep changing, and a lot of this is scary.
And we have no idea when we will get to After Covid, or even what that “new
normal” might look like.
It’s in times like these that our faith becomes very, very real. It’s our firm foundation.
It’s by faith that we hear again the message of the angels: DO NOT BE AFRAID. It’s
by faith that we reach out to others in the name of Christ. It’s by faith that we see the
light in the darkness, the new things that are being revealed even as much that we
counted on is no longer there.
Here at the Cathedral, and in our extended community, we have become more aware
than ever of our need for each other, and our need of God. We are here for each
other, in person, on-line, by phone, by Zoom, in prayer – often in deeper ways than
ever before. And with other things being stripped away, we can see more clearly
what is truly important. We see God at work in new ways, and even in the midst of
anxiety find joy that surprises us.
Pledging to the Cathedral for 2021 is an act of faith and an act of love. It’s saying
YES to God, and responding to all that God gives us. It’s something we need to do for
our own spiritual growth, and it’s something we need to do for each other. It’s about
incarnation: finding God’s life and love in this place, in this time, with these people,
and living it out here and now.
We need your prayers, and we need your financial commitment to our life together.
Our needs are great, yes. But we give from abundance, not need, for God’s gifts are
showered upon us. I believe absolutely that we have what we need if we all give as
we can. There’s joy in this!
I urge you to make your pledge now for 2021, and raise it if you can. I will. We’re in
this together, thank God.
Blessings,
Lucinda+
The Very Reverend Lucinda Laird. Dean & Rector of the American Cathedral in Paris