Sermon at The Church of the Holy Apostles, New York City
May 11, 2008, The Day of Pentecost:Whitsunday, Year A
Kathleen Suarez, Chad Rancourt, & Linda Golding
Numbers 11:24-30
Psalm 104
Acts 2:1-21
John 20:19-23

Sermon by Kathleen Suarez:

     I would like to successfully draw a picture of the Holy Spirit ALIVE in the parish of Holy Apostles over a period of many years.

     From July 1950 to 1968 Father Griswold was the Rector.  He inherited a great love of music and had a lovely boys’ choir at Holy Apostles.  He was a priest who visited many people in their homes, and opened up Holy Apostles to many races and colors.  He resigned in 1968.

     Father Weeks was called as Rector in 1968: he was an activist priest and many groups were brought into Holy Apostles at this time.  For example, the headquarters of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Chelsea Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Chelsea A.A., still here in these early years, Episcopal Group Home for Boys in the Rectory.  Holy Apostles Center for ex-offenders.  These were men who had been living in Mission House 2.  The Holy Spirit was very active.

     Father Weeks resigned in January 1974 and, because Holy Apostles could not afford to call a Rector, the parish was served by an interim priest in charge, Father Cochran, and Charles Yearwood, Senior warden, and the vestry, and strong lay leadership led by the spirit.

     Father Cochran resigned in September 1977 and then for many months Holy Apostles had a supply priest on Sundays.  During this time, and sustained by the Holy Spirit, the Ordination of Ellen Barrett by Bishop Moore took place at Holy Apostles, with NYPD stationed at the door!  So this year passed the Finances of the parish improved, the parish assessment was paid, and the Bishop directed the Vestry to call a Rector.

    The strength and survival of the parish was on its lay leadership fed by the Holy Spirit.  What has been referred to as the lean years were never in darkness, not without hope, not despairing, and not afraid.   A strong example of Christian hope and signs of the Kingdom in Chelsea.  With a welcoming of diverse people by people already free to be open to all.

     After calling for guidance by the Holy Spirit, Father Rand Frew was called as Rector on St. Matthews Day, September 21, 1978.  Father Rand Frew arrived at Holy Apostles with abundant energy and strong Catholic faith, and his dream of a Soup Kitchen.  The number of parishioners increased and finances increased, and the Soup Kitchen became a reality.  In addition, a broader outreach program flourished, and Chelsea Children’s Festival was run for several summers.  The sale of the old Rectory provided the Parish with operating and maintenance funds to continue the parish outreach.  With an operating Soup Kitchen extending beyond the parish of the Holy Apostles, the future of Holy Apostles was assured.

     Let us go forth into the world rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

Sermon by Linda Golding:

     Oh Lord, open up my lips that my mouth may proclaim your praise.

     A teacher of mine told me that there is no magic marker we can use to edit our sacred texts.  We can edit commentaries on the texts by writing new ones but not re-write the original texts.  There are passages in the Torah, the Old Testament, that I, as a modern Jewish woman, would happily edit – passages that are misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, generally divisive.  I daresay there might be a few items in the New Testament each of you sitting here would like to edit. But this cannot be done.  I can avoid or dismiss  passages or I can embrace the texts I find problematic, celebrating that my tradition encourages me to take these texts, applying head, heart and soul to find a way towards my own understanding of central texts and ideas, enriching my experience of faith and life, finding my own Torah.

     The Gospel we heard a few minutes ago includes the line “…and the doors were locked for fear of the Jews…”  That is surely a line, a translation, I would like to see edited.

     As a Jew, this line is the only one in this week’s scheduled readings that I could possibly address.  And I was stunned  – why was this the Gospel reading the week I was invited to speak ?  As I reviewed the reading with the equally stunned clergy, it quickly became apparent that this line simply did not leap out for others as it did for me.  Another Gospel section was offered.  After careful consideration, I decided to respond to the original selection.

     Pentecost is often described as the beginning of the Church and the Christian community -- the time when the Apostles – the still Jewish Apsotles -- began to take the teachings of Jesus, their rabbi, out into the – well -- Jewish world.  The Jewish festival of Pentecost, Shavuot, is celebrated 50 days after the first day of Passover.  (Does that 50 sound familiar?) Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Israelites while they were still in the literal and metaphoric desert, having left their place of enslavement.  Shavuot may be seen as the beginning of the Jewish community.

     Kathleen, Chad and I were invited to speak today to comment on our experiences at Holy Apostles, its ministry and community.  For me, this invitation is an example of Holy Apostles’ well-known radical hospitality – offer a stranger your hand, show her your heart, give her room to do the same, offer sustenance, seek an equal exchange.

     My partner Diane and I came to Holy Apostles after we met Larry Gifford and Joe Antenson at an Interfaith event at B’nai Jeshurun, our synagogue.  Larry and Joe immediately invited us to join them at Holy Apostles.  Diane had been wanting to join a community of faith but had not found one where the attraction was mutual; I very much wanted Diane to find such a community because of the great gifts I had found in the synagogue.  We came to Holy Apostles for Easter in 2007 and never left.  The strong connection between Diane and the Holy Apostles community has made it easier for my Jewish faith to grow.  I spend my weekend, like Joe and Larry, in spiritual engagement – my learning in the synagogue is increased because of my learning here in the church, and vice versa.  At home, the unspoken tension between the different faiths is gone and we have a greater context from which to question and learn, strengthening our relationship.  We are both, I think, stronger in the world.  We both, the Jew and the Episcopalian, have a home here at Holy Apostles.

     So, back to the line “…and the doors were locked for fear of the Jews…”  Which Jews ?  The other Jews ?  The ones with different beliefs or insights ?  The ones who stood for the past ?  The immigrant, the sick, the lonely, the hungry, the ones in need of help ?  The ones pounding on the door to be let in ?  The other ?  Ourselves ?

     I grew up here in New York City as a mostly secular Jew.  And as a Jew, I always felt like the other.  Come to think of it, even in Hebrew school I felt like the other because I lived such an otherwise non-Jewish life.  In the year I have been with you here at Holy Apostles, I have come to see that it is really only in the presence of an- other that we have the chance to become who we really are.    We witness and experience each other’s faith through words and actions opening the door to each other.  As we learn together, we reduce the fear of the other across the way and the other inside ourselves.   As we bump up against each other, we rub the rough edges and like a diamond, the sparkle shines through.

     During the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, some Jews (including, sometimes, me) practice an ancient  ritual of daily spiritual refinement.  It is a version of the journey from the Egypt of enslavement to the freedom of the Torah and Mount Sinai.  Today is Day 21, expressed as the Nobility of Compassion.  This is a fitting day to stand here and say thank you.

 

Sermon by Chad Rancourt:

     What a joyful day this is to witness and recognize all of the wonderful ministries of Holy Apostles, and to see this representation of the great things done by Holy Apostles and you, the parishioners.

     Those of you who knew me when I walked into Holy Apostles nearly 10 years ago are perhaps just as surprised as I that I am standing up here today. For those of you who didn't know me, let me tell you a story of someone who was so shy, he wouldn't speak a word at a bible study or at a retreat and who could only speak when called on through a timid, sometimes barely audible voice and sometimes through tears. At that time I was ever-present but rarely heard. Now we fast forward to today almost ten years later and here I am not only willing to speak in front of the entire congregation but enthused to do so. When I was first asked to give this short sermon I did wonder what I could contribute. See, I have no theological background. So I can't speak so much of the history nor of the significance of the readings, but I can speak of my own experience and of what these readings and, in particular, what the holy spirit means to me. For I believe without a doubt that it is the Holy Spirit who has guided me here to this place today.

     So today, I can share with you my experience and what I believe to be true. Now, I may be wrong...heavens knows I am wrong a lot of the time...but this is how I have come to understand the Holy Spirit.

     In my personal experience, I find the Holy Spirit is working though me when I take on those things I feel attracted to. When I actually put my feet to the pavement and work on what I am being called to do. I think there is a constant sense of what is good and right for each of us to be doing in this world--and in this parish--and what we need to do is to listen, listen to the Holy Spirit. Then we must pause and hear and contemplate exactly what we are called to do. Then, and most importantly, we must take this new found inspiration and then do...act upon our drive to carry out that which we are called to do--especially if this action feels natural, good, and right.

     A couple of weeks ago I was at a concert with a friend and came along the obligatory clap-along with the band--something I am not often keen on doing. At first I didn't join in, but my friend started clapping his hand to the music against my hand, like this, his right hand on my left hand. Soon he had lifted my hand and we were clapping along with the music with full force. This felt good and right and I though "what fun this is." Then I looked over to my friend and saw the pure joy on his face as he watched the band, clapping along, his right hand with my left hand. We smiled at each other. It was then I realized...you see, my friend had brain surgery a few years back and lost use of his left wrist. He needed my left hand so he could join in at all. Here was the Holy Spirit using my left hand as a gift to my friend so that he could experience the joy and happiness that God wants so much for us all to have.

     Sometimes we do something because it feel good and right and even because we may derive some pleasure out if it only to find out that we have been guided by the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit.

     An example here at Holy Apostles of doing what feels good and right is the soup kitchen. It  is not just a plan on paper or a hope and a dream,  it is an example of this parish listening to its call and walking the walk to do what it has been called to do. We see this in the Social and Economic Justice Committee and in every ministry from the drumming group to the community chorus. Now I cannot broach this subject without mentioning two ministries that are very close to me, Knit Indeed and Ecclesia at Holy Apostles. Each of these ministries came, not merely because to was what I wanted to do, but because there was already a space for them here in the Holy Apostles community, a place to listen, hear and do. In each of these cases the community started to clap its hand with mine and I clapped back, and only after fully engaging did we discover the full implication of our service and contribution to the whole.

     So if I have anything to impart from my understanding of the Holy Spirit it is to listen for those things that give you joy and happiness, because those things are a good sign that God is working through you, through us--for us and often for the world around us. Listen to the Holy Spirit..hear what you are called to do....and...most importantly--Do.


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