A Word From Our Pastor
After our recent Town Hall, I found myself thinking about everything I heard, not just the history of St. Francis, but the spirit that has carried this church through almost sixty years.
I heard the story of a church that began in 1967 during a time of enormous change in our country and in the church. And from the beginning, the people of St. Francis were described as open, curious, willing to take risks, eager for change, willing to challenge tradition, and genuinely interested in people who were different from them.
In other words, St. Francis has been rebels for a long time. And I love that.
What struck me most was that the people who built St. Francis weren't afraid to experiment. They changed worship. They brought in guitars and
different styles of music. They questioned what church was supposed to look like. They were willing to become something different because they believed God was calling them toward something more.
And as I listened to the stories of our ministries today, I realized that spirit is still very much alive. I heard it in the way we care for people experiencing loneliness and mental health struggles. I heard it in our commitment to caring for creation. I heard it in the work being done with immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+ neighbors, children and youth, and organizations throughout Tucson. I heard it in the desire to make sure people are seen, welcomed, loved, and never forgotten.
That is St. Francis.
One question I gained from the Town Hall that has stayed with me is: What does faithfulness require of us now?
Not in 1967. Now twenty years ago. Now.
I believe honoring our history means more than remembering what those who came before us did. It means carrying their courage forward.
They were willing to take risks. So must we.
They were willing to change. So must we.
They were willing to ask who was being left out, whose voice was not being heard, and where the church needed to show up. So must we.
Our history is not something we are trying to recreate. It is the foundation beneath our feet as we discover the next iteration of St. Francis.
The Spirit who moved then is still moving now.
And I am excited to see what happens when we trust her enough to follow. We are not leaving history behind. We are becoming the next chapter of it, together.
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With Love and Light,
Pastor Michael