Lord, conducted daily services here at the church. It was a place that people could find, at least for a short time, in all the turmoil of that time, maybe a sense of peace, some degree of sanctuary, and maybe for a time not be afraid. Jesus said, as he came to the disciples on the water, "Take heart, it is I, have no fear." Things are quieter now at Christ Church, and in Vicksburg, but we still s
eek to continue to be the presence of Christ in this community, to share the gospel, to bring sanctuary, and to tell people, “Have no fear.”
This is still our mission because people do have fears. People are afraid of going hungry, and so we support with donations, regular collections of food, and by volunteering our time to the Community Food Pantry. People are afraid of not having anyone to listen, and we support, with other churches, the Christian Counseling Center. People are afraid of not being able to read or learn so we have volunteers who tutor at the Good Shepherd Community Center. We are hoping to find more ways to be involved in the local schools. People are afraid of being homeless or having their utilities cut off and so we give aid where we are able to keep people in their homes and their utilities on. People are afraid of not being able to give their children a Christmas, so we adopt children again through the Good Shepherd Center. And there are people who are just afraid of being alone, so we take communion, and more than that, we take fellowship to shut-ins. People are afraid of being alone still, and so we open our doors, for worship and prayer and invite people in to a loving parish family where they are welcomed to be part of a community that offers the love of Christ. Jesus said, "Take heart, it is I, have no fear." And we are not afraid to reach out and bring Christ to our community. The things we do are carried out by a loving community of lay ministers, the hands and feet and hearts of people reaching out. And finally, we are not afraid to cook. We cook, from what I can tell since I’m still kind of new here; we will cook a lot of pancakes and sausage, in just a couple of weeks, and the proceeds support ministries here and in the Diocese. Among those we support are Episcopal Relief and Development, Camp Caritas, Camp Bratton-Green, the Honduran Medical Mission, Special Olympics, local homeless shelters and many other ministries. We are still here, since 1828, in the heart of Vicksburg, seeking to be the presence of Christ, reaching out, offering sanctuary, worshiping and praising God.
