January 11, 2022

From The Rector…

Bear Bryant once famously said, “I ain’t never been nothin’ but a winner…” That doesn’t mean he never lost a football game, instead it is how he defined himself. Winning is not about always being at the top—it’s more about a positive and hopeful attitude that refuses to give up. 

It has been almost two years since the pandemic began. Instead of giving up, I have seen CoA rally with determination and resilience. We have been a church willing to redefine who we are as well as root into who we have always been. In the language of the twenty-first century—we have become hybrid. 

Our in-line worship has allowed us to serve so many who, for whatever reason, cannot attend. Our stone and mortar presence continues to be a place of comfort and hope for those who feel lost and need an anchor to cling too in this world.  We serve God’s kingdom through our presence in both ways. 

And that’s the key—serve. Bear Bryant may have been speaking about a winning attitude that reflected one’s dominance in the world. But Jesus redefines winning to reflect one’s service—lifting the world up from the bottom; not standing on the top of the pyramid. To be a winner as a Christian is to live a life of service. 

We get to do just that this Saturday. Starting at 9am we will work in partnership with our friends from St. Paul’s AME church and Family Promise to help refurbish the new Family Promise home located across from the church on Clanton Ave. There is lots to do (see below) and relationships to grow. I hope you will join us. Coming together as a people of faith and serving our community makes us winners. The crazy thing is that winning is not our priority as Christians, but in serving, we witness to the power of the cross and the victory of Jesus Christ. 

Bear Bryant’s quote doesn’t end at being a winner. He goes on to say, “…It’s not the will to win that matters…everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” That is what serving God in the kingdom is really about—our willingness to serve is a preparation for kingdom living. Its not simply a matter of doing for others, it is when we do with others—getting to know them and letting them get to know us—that truly prepares us for kingdom living.  

Standing at the cross and bearing witness to a God who turns all that we understand about the world upside down is the true victory. We are all winners in Christ and we live into that victory through our praise and worship of God and in serving His kingdom.

Light and Life,

Candice+

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