It has been wonderful to be in contact with so many parishioners over the last two weeks; people who care deeply for one another and who have committed to strengthening connections even as we must attempt to do so remotely. It is no surprise that our community is reaching out to one another with love and care. I dare say we will never again take for granted our ability to be with one another in person!....
Last week I had the privilege of giving a chapel talk at an independent school on the Upper West Side. The students were middle-school aged, and despite some very real generalized anxiety about coronavirus, they listened closely and respectfully as I spoke about Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. They had studied HASK as an example in their “Love in Action” unit. I was there to make it real(er).....
The Vestry gathered for a day-long retreat last Saturday, comprised of a morning program and some business-like discussion in the afternoon. This year our time before lunch was led by the Rev. Posey Krakowski, a clergy colleague who is also an artist. She guided us through some exercises that involved looking closely at artwork. She started with a piece that she brought with her (this first exercise was to introduce us to the process and offer us an opportunity to practice). Then we moved into the church. Together we observed one of the stained glass windows, sharing observations, questions and insights.... ...The commission to pay attention is central in this season of Lent. We are asked to pay attention to our sinfulness; to all the ways in which we separate ourselves from God and from the abundance that God puts before us always. The first step in this process is taking some time to look closely and honestly at what is before us, as well as the choices we make accordingly (“things done and left undone”). So as we think about giving things up or adding commitments to our lives during this holy season, it might be a spiritually edifying first step to look closely—and without judgement—at some area of our lives that needs tending and care; to gaze at a part of our existence that, with restorative work and penitence, might be a point of entry for the Holy Spirit.
The musical Come from Away has been running on Broadway since it opened in 2013. It is adored by those who have seen it. Tourists and residents alike continue to fill seats at the Schoenfeld Theater, and no wonder. The show tells a story of open hearts and generosity in the midst of heartache and fear. The plot is based on something that really happened: in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, when airplanes were grounded in the U.S., 6600 passengers and crew from 38 planes originally scheduled to fly into our country were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland.... ...Although romance is the main focus of Valentine’s Day, the real St. Valentine was a healer who ministered to Christians who were persecuted in the earliest days of the church. His actions embodied Christ’s command to love others through acts of mercy. His commitment to Christ was made visible in his commitment to those around him who needed help....
n her book Illuminated Life, Joan Chittister shares a story from the tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers that describes Abba John visiting Abba Paesius. Abba John was the abbot of a large monastery, while Abba Paesius had been living far off in the desert for over forty years. They were close and could speak openly with one another, so when Abba John approached he asked his friend, “What good have you done by living here in retreat for so long, and not being easily disturbed by anyone?” Paesius replied, “Since I have lived in solitude, the sun has never seen me eating.” Abba John paused, and then said back to him, “As for me, since I have been living with others, it has never seen me angry.”...
On one of the ordinary days in between Thanksgiving and Christmas last month, I entered our soup kitchen and was greeted by boxes. A lot of them. There were probably 15 large cardboard containers that had been shipped to us from an unknown source. And around the boxes stood a group of HASK staff, one of whom eventually opened the closest one. Inside were lots and lots of white, lunch sized bags. Each was beautifully decorated with a child’s drawing; brightly colored, some with messages as well. And in each bag were non-perishable snack and beverage items....
In Matthew’s Gospel narrative, it doesn’t take long for the coziness and light of the stable and the heavenly host to give way to fear and darkness. Power lashes out, in a twisted expression of violent self-preservation. Herod, threatened by rumors of a king that could supplant him, orders the murder of every male child in his region under two years of age.....
Poet Georgia Douglas Johnson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the late 19th century. She was a member of the Harlem Renaissance and wrote a few volumes of poetry published in the early 20th. Her work above, titled “Let Me Not Lose My Dream,” was originally published in Bronze: A Book of Verse in 1922. This poem might seem a bit dour for consideration five days before Christmas. After all, we have been through apocalyptic prophecies, John’s imprisonment, Mary’s shocking change of circumstances and Joseph’s dream-induced change of heart. Isn’t it time to move from preparation to celebration? From anguish to joy?...
Today, December 6, is the Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myrna, and as I am writing this ahead of time my email is becoming flooded with requests for Giving Tuesday. We often refer to these December weeks as the “season of giving,” and with good reason: whether we are giving thanks, or our efforts, or a tangible or financial gift, the recommended focus during this time of year is other-centered. We look beyond ourselves for opportunities to connect; always lovingly, often sacrificially....
This is the exact time in the calendar year when we find ourselves poised on the outer edge of the “holiday season,” and ready to jump. Much has been said and written about the complexities inherent in these next six weeks; a time when high interpersonal expectations meet socio-cultural norms meet consumerism meets long, long “to do” lists. By any measure, it’s a lot. We know it’s a lot because we see some of the negative effects of this season in those around us. We might even feel them some ourselves....
