The Franconia-Springfield Mission has its first pre-launch Eucharist Service
by Morgan Reed
When Jesus builds the church, it is never closed, and His kingdom will never be stopped. This theme was preached last Sunday and was put on display in the turnout of people who came to worship at the very first pre-launch Eucharist service at the Franconia-Springfield Mission. I'm pretty sure they were smiling because of their eyes, but everyone was wearing masks when they arrived!
The day began when I parked near the top of the hill overlooking Lake Accotink and began to unload my traveling sacristy while joggers, walkers, and bicyclists stopped to use the restroom near the picnic shelter. They looked on in confusion as this guy in a clerical collar was carrying a table, tubs, linens, candle sticks, and more, to the large picnic area. The service began with one of our young acolytes processing in and continued with many of the beautiful ceremonies that compose Anglican worship (albeit if in seminal form): a credence table made from a metal picnic table, incense wafting through the air from a standing censer, a Missal made from a stylized binder and printout of the new ACNA altar book, sanctus bells repurposed from a common handbell, and pews consisting of lawn chairs and picnic benches. Despite the gloves I could never quite figure out how to put on reverently, the young children making their presence known, celebrating ad orientem without sound equipment and functionally yelling the Eucharistic prayers into a stylish mask, Lake Accotink that day felt like what the Celts would call a thin space, where the space between the heavenly realm and earthly realm is very thin.
Early in the service I noticed that two bicycles were parked, abandoned by a tree, just outside the shelter. The two bicyclists, to which these bikes belonged, were standing nearby, walking around and listening. Even though they never came up for the Eucharist and I never was able to meet them, I noticed that they stayed all the way through the homily. I am excited to continue to meet at this shelter where bikers, joggers, and walkers will all stop to use the restroom and look on at this thin space with curiosity and perhaps even longing. Seeing the joy in the saints who were present and the curiosity of those who looked up the hill at what was happening reminded me of why we plant churches.
People long for what is not of this world, for restoration, renewal, and community. This might be the encounter with the Kingdom of God that someone needed to put their faith in Jesus Christ. I am excited to see how God will continue to shape the DNA of this launch team and grow His Kingdom through our monthly Eucharist services together. We could not do this work without the prayers and generous gifts of God’s people: both from individuals and from our generous partner churches. Thank you for supporting God’s kingdom work in this new church plant. If you want to hear more about what we are doing, check out https://tfsmission.org and send me an email at morgan@tfsmission.org.
The Rev. Morgan Reed has been called to plant a church that will have real gospel impact in Franconia, Springfield, and Kingstowne, Virginia.
